About Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon
Angela Evans Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon (born 7 January 1959), is a British politician and life peer serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal since 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, she was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Basildon from 1997 to 2010. Smith served in government as an Assistant Whip from 2001 to 2002 and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from 2002 to 2007. She became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in 2007 and served until her appointment as Minister of State for the Third Sector in 2009. Smith lost her seat to the Conservatives at the 2010 general election, contesting the reformed South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. She was appointed to the House of Lords shortly after her defeat, where she became Shadow Deputy Chief Whip in 2012 and Shadow Leader in 2015. Smith was created a Life Peer as Baroness Smith of Basildon, of Basildon in the County of Essex, on 7 July 2010, following the 2010 Dissolution Honours List. In April 2020, Corbyn resigned and as the leadership election ensued which was later won by Keir Starmer, Smith remained as Shadow Leader of the House of Lords. In August 2003, Smith came under pressure to overturn the decision by planners to reject a proposal for Strangford Lough's first yacht marina.
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