Peter Smith, Baron Smith of Leigh


Peter Richard Charles Smith, Baron Smith of Leigh is a British Labour Life Peer from Lancashire.

Career

From a Lowton family, Peter Smith was educated at Bolton School before going up to LSE where he graduated in economics.
Smith has been a member of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council since 1978 and was Chairman of its Finance Committee from 1982 to 1991; from 1991 to 2018, he served as Leader of the Council.
Created a Life Peer on 5 August 1999 as Baron Smith of Leigh, of Wigan in the County of Greater Manchester, since 2005 he has been Treasurer of the Rugby League Group and, since 2006, Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party's Departmental Committee for Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He is currently the Chairman of Local Government Leadership, a body seeking to develop leadership skills in local government.
Chair of The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities from 2000-present, he chaired the successor Greater Manchester Combined Authority from its creation in 2011 until the appointment of the interim Mayor in 2015
Lord Smith is married with one daughter, the artist Anna F C Smith.