John Smith was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Official Opposition from 18 July 1992 until his death on 12 May 1994. Smith became leader upon succeeding Neil Kinnock, who had resigned following the 1992 general election—for the fourth successive time, the Conservatives had won and Labour lost.
Prior to being Leader of the Opposition, Smith had been a member of the Government of James Callaghan as President of the Board of Trade (1978–1979), and served under his predecessor Neil Kinnock's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (1987–1992).
Smith's tenure as Leader of the Opposition saw the Government's policies of the implementation of the Citizen's Charter, progress in the Northern Ireland peace negotiations, and the creation and centralisation of the European Union. Smith died suddenly on 12 May 1994, and was replaced as Acting Leader by Margaret Beckett, who served until 21 July 1994.
Initial Shadow Cabinet
On 18 July 1992, John Smith announced the following Shadow Cabinet:
John Smith – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Margaret Beckett – Deputy Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, and Elections Co-ordinator
Gordon Brown – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Jack Cunningham – Shadow Foreign Secretary
Tony Blair – Shadow Home Secretary
David Clark – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Ann Taylor – Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Frank Dobson – Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
Jack Straw – Shadow Minister for Local Government and Housing
Chris Smith – Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment and Shadow Minister for London
David Blunkett – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Donald Dewar – Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security
Bryan Gould – Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage
Robin Cook – Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
John Prescott – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Tom Clarke – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Ann Clwyd – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Kevin McNamara – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Michael Meacher – Shadow Minister for Overseas Development
Mo Mowlam – Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter, and Shadow Ministerfor the Status of Women
Harriet Harman – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Ron Davies – Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Lord Richard – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
Derek Foster – Labour Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Lord Graham of Edmonton – Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords
Lord Irvine of Lairg – Shadow Lord Chancellor
Changes
29 September 1992: Gould resigned over the Party's stance on the Maastricht Treaty. and was replaced as Shadow National Heritage Secretary by Ann Clwyd, who retained her position as Shadow Welsh Secretary.
Smith reshuffled the Shadow Cabinet on 21 October 1993, following the 1993 Shadow Cabinet elections. Clwyd left the Shadow Cabinet. Mowlam replaced her as Shadow National Heritage Secretary, with Clare Short (who also lost in the Shadow Cabinet elections) replacing her as Shadow Minister for the Status of Women. Meacher replaced Mowlam as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter. He was in turn replaced by Clarke at the Overseas Development portfolio, and Clarke was replaced as Scottish Spokesperson by new Shadow Cabinet minister George Robertson. Clwyd was replaced as Shadow Welsh Secretary by Davies, who was replaced at Agriculture by Gavin Strang. Prescott and Dobson exchanged portfolios (receiving Employment and Transport, respectively), with Dobson also takikng London from Chris Smith. Blunkett became Chair of the Labour Party while retaining the Health portfolio.
John Smith – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Margaret Beckett – Deputy Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, and Elections Co-ordinator
Gordon Brown – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Jack Cunningham – Shadow Foreign Secretary
Tony Blair – Shadow Home Secretary
David Clark – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Ann Taylor – Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Frank Dobson – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and Shadow Minister for London
Jack Straw – Shadow Minister for Local Government and Housing
Chris Smith – Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment
David Blunkett – Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Chair of the Labour Party
Donald Dewar – Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security
Mo Mowlam – Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage
Robin Cook – Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
John Prescott – Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
George Robertson – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Ron Davies – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Kevin McNamara – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Tom Clarke – Shadow Minister for Overseas Development
Michael Meacher – Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter
Clare Short – Shadow Minister for the Status of Women
Harriet Harman – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Gavin Strang – Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Lord Richard – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
Derek Foster – Labour Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Lord Graham of Edmonton – Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords
Lord Irvine of Lairg – Shadow Lord Chancellor
