John Smith

May 1994 saw the sudden and tragic death of John Smith, cut down at the moment he appeared set to become the next Prime Minister after successive electoral defeats for his party. His death, it is no exaggeration to say, changed the entire course of history, paving the way for the accession of Tony Blair and the advent of New Labour.

Smith presided over far-reaching and at times controversial reform of the Labour Party and its policies, committing his party to constitutional reform, devolution and greater European integration – policies that we attribute to his successor today, despite Smith’s crucial role. Yet for some in the party, his changes didn’t go nearly far enough.

Thirty years on from his death, this fascinating collection offers a comprehensive assessment of Smith’s leadership of the Labour Party, written by academic experts in their chosen fields and by those who knew him as advisors, MPs and journalists. Taking a wide-ranging look at all aspects of Smith’s rule – from his legacy and popularity to his policies and priorities – the book seeks to answer the crucial question of whether his leadership was a continuation of the ‘Old Labour’ attitudes that had come before him or the harbinger of the transformed New Labour that followed his tragically short time as Leader of the Opposition.