Norman Smith (journalist)


Norman Stuart Smith is a British journalist. He became the Chief Political Correspondent of BBC News in 2011, and its Assistant Political Editor from 2014 to 2020.

Education

Smith was educated at Oundle School and St Peter's College, Oxford, where he read History.

Career

Smith began his career in regional newspapers in Birmingham and Bristol, before joining the BBC as a local radio reporter in 1986. Smith became a parliamentary correspondent in 1993, presenting Today and Yesterday in Parliament on BBC Radio 4. He has reported for the BBC from the Palace of Westminster since 1999. In 2010, he became Chief Political Correspondent for Radio 4.
In July 2011, he was appointed to the position of Chief Political Correspondent for the BBC News channel replacing Laura Kuenssberg who departed to ITN, before then being promoted to the position of Assistant Political Editor in 2014.
Since 2015, he has been a relief presenter for Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
The BBC Radio 4 Today programme said a fond farewell to Smith at the end of July 2020. He said he wanted to spend more time with friends and family, and "walking his dog". He was also paid tribute to on the BBC News at One as he contributed his final live link to the programme.