Jeff Smith was first elected as the Labour Party MP for Manchester Withington in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 27,905.
He serves as Shadow Minister for Clean Power and Consumers, having been appointed to the role in Keir Starmer’s September 2023 reshuffle.
The Manchester Withington seat is found in the south of Manchester, and is regarded as the most affluent of the Manchester city seats. It contains the areas of Chorlton and Didsbury, is popular with young professionals, and has a notably high student vote.
Three quarters of the electorate here opposed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. Once a Conservative seat for many years prior to 1987, Manchester Withington backed the Liberal Democrats between 2005 and 2015. Experiencing a massive electoral change in the last decade, it has now become one of the safest Labour seats in the UK.
Smith was appointed to the shadow Culture, Media and Sport team in December 2021, and served as the shadow shadow Minister for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Music. He was previously the Shadow Minister for Local Government.
Born in this part of Manchester in1963, Jeff Smith grew up in Withington, and was educated at Manchester University. Prior to being elected to Parliament, he was an Events Manager, DJ and night club promoter. He is now Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on the Night Time Economy.
Smith was elected to Manchester City Council between 1997 and 2015, and was the Executive Member for Finance.
Smith nominated Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, having supported Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge to Jeremy Corbyn.
Smith is a Manchester City season ticket holder, and also a fan of Bruce Springsteen.
Smith is in favour of decriminalising cannabis.
He is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Complex Needs, Drug Policy Reform, Film and Broader Screen, Humanism, Liver Health, and Syria. He is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Mental Health.
Email: jeff.smith.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.jeffsmith.org.uk/
Westminster Tel: 020 7219 5878
Twitter: twitter.com/JeffSmithetc
