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John HealeyUK Secretary of State for Defence from 5 July 2024
Date of Birth: 13.02.1960
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Education and Early Career
- Labour Party and Public Service
- Ministerial Appointments
- Shadow Defence Secretary
- Current Role
Education and Early Career
John Smith was born in 1959 and attended Christ's College, Cambridge University, where he studied Social and Political Sciences. Upon graduating in 1984, he volunteered for several charities, including the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation, and Mind.
Labour Party and Public Service
In 1997, Smith was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne. He held various junior ministerial positions in Tony Blair's government, including Under-Secretary of State for Health and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.
Ministerial Appointments
On June 5, 2009, Smith was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Planning in Gordon Brown's government. After the Labour Party's defeat in the 2010 general election, he served as Shadow Minister for Housing in the Shadow Cabinets of Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband. In 2015, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning under Jeremy Corbyn.
Shadow Defence Secretary
In April 2020, Smith was appointed Shadow Defence Secretary under Keir Starmer. He criticized the Conservative government for its cuts to defence spending and the reduction in the size of the British Army. He emphasized the need for the UK's defence capabilities to focus on the European continent.
Current Role
On July 5, 2024, Smith was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in Rishi Sunak's government. He remains a prominent figure in the Labour Party and a respected voice on defence and security matters.
