A new book shows how John Smith never sacrificed his beliefs, unlike the man who followed him, argues Illtyd Harrington

John Smith: A Life by Mark Stuart
Politico’s, £25

STRONG men cried on hearing of the sudden death of John Smith. Others, less sentimental, proceeded eagerly, even before he was cold, to plot the succession. They scarcely hid their impatience.
It was May 12, 1994, and a wave of grief and sorrow swept across the country.
A good man had died after a second heart attack.
He readily admitted that he looked like a bank manager. “Barclays not Midlands if you please,” he used to quip.
Mark Stuart, a former aide to David Blunkett, sets out in his biography the details of Smith’s beliefs and attitude.
But in the main, he concentrates on his role post Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock as party leader of the Labour Party – a party which had suffered four general election defeats.
His election was confirmed on July 18, 1992, by polling 90.9 per cent of Labour’s Electoral College.
As prime minister-in-waiting he had scented a coming victory.
So where did he come from? What did he hope for? Was he an opportunist or too timid a moderniser?
He certainly could be an irascible, bad tempered heavy-drinker, a Scottish politician who was openly dismissive of many, including his predecessor Kinnock. Stuart paints a round character “never let politics be your master” Smith barked one day.
He liked classical music and would easily slip into Scottish folk songs.
He sailed, went hill-walking, played tennis, loved the opera and better still, sitting up late talking with a dram in his hand and insisting you have one too.
Smith was born in 1938 on the west coast of Scotland.
His father was a respected socialist schoolmaster but like his neighbours, a Presbyterian.
Smith remained a Christian socialist, attending Glasgow University between 1956 and 1963.
His closest friends were ‘Derry’ Irvin, later Blair’s Lord Chancellor, and Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister.
They were three future prominent lawyers – not so tame back then.
Smith joined the Labour Party when he was 13 years old and fought his first parliamentary by-election at 23. It was a commendable performance in a difficult Tory constituency. After that his relatively right-wing stance cost him a string of failed parliamentary nominations.
This ended in 1970 when he fought and won north Lanarkshire.
By this time he had met and married Elizabeth. It was a five-year courtship and produced three daughters. One, Catherine, is a Channel 4 newsreader.
As the Callaghan government staggered to its end in 1979 his confidence and competence were being noticed.
Europe and devolution made him an adept and essential figure. Michael Foot valued his skills, as did Tony Benn but he backed Dennis Healey for the leadership.
Foot won.
In the tipping point year, 1981, 29 Labour MPs fled to the new SDP. Smith was never tempted and retained his core beliefs in socialism. He warned of the Labour Party becoming “Social Democrats Mark II”.
Peter Mandelson was given short shrift with his black arts.
Patricia Hewitt was dismissed out of hand when she advised the now shadow chancellor that his proposed pensions and child benefits were unsustainable.
Frank Dobson, on the other hand, provided him with some of the best briefs on the European monetary system.
Kinnock stepped down after his reforms while Smith’s juniors, Blair and Gordon Brown, wanted to accelerate the process.
Smith stood accused of being too cautious and restrained.
Twice voted Parliamentarian of the Year, his impact was considerable.
Although after Thatcher left Number 10 in November 1990, John Major the new PM and Norman Lamont, his chancellor, outsmarted Smith on several occasions. The City took to him as a future chancellor but he warned them: “I am not in the business of seeking the City’s endorsement.”
After Major’s unexpected victory in 1992, the Tories had a 21-seat majority and a new leader was needed.
Blair was a non-starter and Brown too hesitant in the fight to succeed Kinnock. Criticism went on that Smith could have done more to take Old Labour by the horns.
There is substantial evidence to refute that.
After all he was the author of One Member One Vote and he refused to antagonise the older wing of the party by scrapping Clause Four.
Subtly, he argued, better to say “more economic control is more important than ownership”.
He realised that the minimum wage and the Social Contract were coming.
He firmly resolved not to Clintonise the Labour Party and make it box office.
According to some observers: “Overall, it is clear that Smith’s Labour Party was not New Labour.”
After his death they called the Labour HQ in south London John Smith House.
When they moved to more regal premises on Millbank, they dropped his name – enough said.