Name Peter Baron | Role Politician | |
Peter Richard Charles Smith, Baron Smith of Leigh (born 24 July 1945) is a British Labour politician and Life Peer. He is an economics graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Career
Peter Smith has been a member of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council since 1978 and was chairman of the finance committee from 1982 to 1991. Since 1991 he has been Leader of the Council. He was created a life peer on 5 August 1999 as Baron Smith of Leigh, of Wigan in the County of Greater Manchester. Since 2005 he has been treasurer of the Rugby League Group and, since 2006, Vice-chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party's Departmental Committee for Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He is currently the Chairman of Local Government Leadership, a body seeking to develop leadership skills in local government.
Smith is chair of The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) from 2000-present and also chair of its successor the Greater Manchester Combined Authority from its creation in 2011 until the appointment of the interim mayor in 2015
He is married with one daughter, the artist Anna F C Smith.