David Smith is the Labour MP for North Northumberland, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Smith won 17,855 votes, representing 36.6% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, received 12,788 votes (26.2%), while the Reform UK candidate, Katherine Hales, secured 7,688 votes (15.7%). Smith was duly elected with a majority of 5,067.

The North Northumberland constituency, newly created ahead of the 2024 general election, is located in the North East of England. The seat was formed mainly from the former Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency, previously held by Anne-Marie Trevelyan of the Conservative Party (2015-2024).

Political Career

Smith serves as UK special envoy for freedom of religion or belief (since December 2024).

Upon his appointment, Smith stated: “From sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East and Asia, I have personally worked with those of different faiths who face religious persecution, and so these are issues that I care passionately about.

“I look forward to taking forward the government’s commitment to supporting freedom of religion or belief for all.”

Smith is also a member of the House of Commons Northern Ireland affairs select committee (since October 2024) – the committee responsible for scrutinising the policy, administration and spending of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its associated public bodies.

In addition, Smith is a member of the joint ecclesiastical committee (since November 2024). The committee. The committee examines draft measures presented to it by the Legislative Committee of the General Synod of the Church of England.

In May 2026, Smith was among the group of Labour MPs who publicly called for the prime minister, Keir Starmer, to resign or set out a clear timetable for his departure. The move followed the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

In a statement, Smith said: “There is no question that the Labour Party owes a debt of gratitude to Keir Starmer for the work he did to turn our party around and to make us an electoral force again…

“But if we are to make good on the promises that we made to the country in 2024 to tackle the cost of living, to deal with immigration fairly and effectively, to restore our national economy, to re-build our armed forces and to see the return of a more cohesive, hopeful society, then we cannot carry on with the approach we have taken in the first two years of this Labour government…

“We will need a Beveridge Report for the 21st century that re-aligns our social security net with modern lives. We will need an industrial strategy, and public utilities and procurement laws that build up the sovereign capacity of the UK above all else. We will need a comprehensive plan to enable energy security that considers all of the options on the table.

“Above all, in an era of fractious politics, our country needs a renewed covenant between government and people, and across the many communities which form our society.”

In January 2026, Smith was one of over 60 Labour MPs to sign a letter to the prime minister calling for the introduction of an Australia-style ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. Organised by Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas, the initiative brought together a cross-factional coalition of backbenchers – spanning the Socialist Campaign Group, Tribune Group and Blue Labour – to demand action.

The letter called on Keir Starmer to “show leadership” by introducing a minimum age for social media access “to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms”.

It stated: “We are all strong supporters of technology, and of this Labour government’s ambition to use tech to improve lives. But successive governments have done far too little to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms.”

Smith is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for homelessness (vice chair) and North Korea (vice chair).

Smith delivered his maiden speech on 3 September 2024 during a debate on the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

In it, he said: “Today we are debating the government’s plans, over time, to put the railways back into public ownership, or as some might say, into public service. That is really what I want to address today – the idea and ideals of public service.

“All of us are here to serve the public, but we can only serve here because of the people who have gone before us, the people who support us, and of course the people who vote for us.”

He added: “As I set out on the task of being a member of parliament, my thoughts turn to the wisdom of another part of the good book. Proverbs, chapter 31, says: ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’

“Those are wise words for all with a heart for public service, especially those of us who call ourselves parliamentarians. As for me, they will be the axiom by which I expect my public service to be judged, however long I remain in this place.”

Political views

Leadership elections

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Smith was one of 175 Labour MPs who nominated Bridget Phillipson for the party’s deputy leadership in September 2025. The election followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after an investigation into her tax affairs. It marked the first time since 2007 that Labour had held a deputy leadership contest while in government.

Phillipson, the serving education secretary, was widely viewed as the candidate favoured by Downing Street and the party leadership. She secured 175 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 80 required to reach the final ballot. She was ultimately defeated by Lucy Powell.

Factional identity and party tradition

Blue Labour: Smith has been associated with the Blue Labour group in parliament. Founded by Labour peer Lord Glasman in 2009, the Blue Labour creed champions what it terms the politics of “faith, family and flag”, embracing a form of social conservatism with a progressive or left-wing economic policy. Blue Labour articulates a critique of both New Labour’s social liberalism and free-market globalisation.

In June 2025, Smith co-authored a LabourList article expressing his support for the tradition.

He wrote: “Blue Labour’s politics is about the work we do, the people we love, and the places to which we belong. It is an explicit challenge to the neoliberal, capitalist consensus, and it belongs to the radical labour tradition.

“A Blue Labour economy would mean a balanced relationship between state, market and society, recognising that large, private corporations now possess far too much power over our country.”

Labour Rural Research Group: Smith has been listed as a member of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) – a caucus made up of MPs representing Labour’s so-called “rural wall”. Launched in August 2025, the group’s primary aim is to ensure that policy is developed with a clear understanding of the distinct challenges and priorities of rural and semi-rural communities.

The LRRG, chaired by the Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, conducts research and consultations to challenge what it sees as a “rural blind spot” in Whitehall. Its first report, “Understanding Rural Britain”, surveyed voters on issues from healthcare and the economy to housing and the environment, seeking to build an evidence-based policy platform. The survey found nearly three quarters (74.4%) of respondents believe rural communities had been overlooked over the past 15 years. On the back of the report, Riddell-Carpenter stated that using the labelling rural voters as Nimbys (not in my back yard) was “toxic” and maintained “many people rightly despise the term”.

Labour Housing: Smith was endorsed by the Labour Housing Group, a long-standing socialist society affiliated with the Labour party, at the 2024 general election. The group advocates a significant expansion of council and social housing, reform of the private rented sector to strengthen tenants’ rights, and tackling homelessness and poor housing conditions.

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Smith voted in favour of the government’s flagship welfare bill at second reading. The vote came after ministers agreed to significant concessions to avoid defeat via a mass rebellion of Labour MPs on 1 July 2025.

Assisted dying

Smith voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Smith voted against a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Smith was one of 25 Labour MPs to vote against the amendment.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Smith was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Before Politics

David William Smith grew up in the west of Scotland.

Smith studied modern history and politics at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a master’s degree in 1998. He was awarded a MPhil in reconciliation studies from Trinity College Dublin in 2006.

Smith’s career before entering parliament centred in roles in the charity sector. He was chief executive of Oasis Community Housing from 2018 to 2024.

Personal Life

Smith is married.

He is a Christian.

Trivia

Smith is a prominent member of the Blue Labour group in parliament.