The Rt. Hon. Christopher Robert Smith (born July 24, 1951) is a British Labour Party politician and former Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister. He was the UK's first openly gay MP, coming out in 1984 and the first ever MP to acknowledge that he is HIV positive. The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt Hon. ... July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The Labour Party is a a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... In British politics, the Cabinet is a formal body comprised of government officials chosen by the Prime Minister. ... Homosexuality may refer to: A sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire primarily for members of the same sex or gender identity. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system. ...

Born at Barnet, Greater London; Chris Smith attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he gained a PhD with a thesis on Coleridge and Wordsworth, and was president of the Cambridge Union Society. He worked for a housing charity and became a councillor in the London Borough of Islington before narrowly winning the seat of Islington South & Finsbury at the 1983 General election. High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... Full name Pembroke College Motto - Named after Countess of Pembroke, Mary de St Pol Previous names Marie Valence Hall (1347), Pembroke Hall (?), Pembroke College (1856) Established 1347 Sister College Queens College Master Sir Richard Dearlove Location Pembroke Street Undergraduates ~420 Graduates 194 Homepage Boatclub Pembroke College is a college... This page is about the nineteenth century English poet. ... William Wordsworth, English poet William Wordsworth (April 7, 1770 - April 23, 1850) was an English poet who with Samuel Taylor Coleridge launched the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads. ... The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Cambridge Union, is one of the largest student societies at the University of Cambridge. ... Islington is a borough of London to the north of the City of London, west of Hackney, east of Camden, and south of Haringey. ... Islington South and Finsbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the second most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ...

In 1984 he became Britain's first openly gay MP. There had been several gay MPs before this where there homosexuality had been common knowledge in some circles, including their constituents in some cases (e.g. Jeremy Thorpe) but they had not been completely open about it. During a rally in Rugby against a possible ban on gay employees by the town council, he began his speech: "Good afternoon, I'm Chris Smith, I'm Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury. I'm gay (most of the audience rose in a standing ovation at this point) and so for that matter are about a hundred other members of the House of Commons only they won't tell you openly". 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable John Jeremy Thorpe (born April 29, 1929) is a British politician, former leader of the Liberal Party. ... Rugby might refer to the sport called rugby: Rugby football Rugby league Rugby union Touch Rugby Tag Rugby Wheelchair Rugby Rugby is also the name of several places: Rugby, Warwickshire (England) within the Borough of Rugby Rugby, North Dakota Rugby, Tennessee Rugby, Brooklyn Rugby may also refer to: Rugby School...

He became an opposition whip in 1986, a shadow Treasury minister from 1987 to 1992, and shadowed the environment, heritage, pensions and health portfolios between 1992 and 1997. In 1997 he was appointed to Tony Blair's Cabinet as the first Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. As a Minister known to have a close connection with the UK arts scene his time at DCMS is generally regarded as a success as many projects funded through the National Lottery came to fruition. In 2000 he managed to secure a tax rebate that enabled many museums to give free admission. He held this position throughout the Labour government's first term, but was sacked and returned to the back benches after the 2001 election, replaced by the up-and-coming Tessa Jowell. Tony Blair later hinted at his regret at losing Smith's services, particularly his strong relationship with the arts world. In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Tony Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is a UK cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. ... A play here! sign outside a newsagent, incorporating the National Lotterys logo of a stylised hand with crossed fingers. ... The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The Right Honourable Tessa Jane Helena Douglas Jowell (born September 17, 1947) is a British politician who is Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. ...

On 30 January 2005 Chris Smith revealed to the Sunday Times that he has HIV and was first diagnosed in 1987. He stated that he had decided to go public following Nelson Mandela's announcement of his son's death from AIDS. Private Eye, however, maintained that the genuine reason for Smith's decision to go public was taken in light of the fact that The Mail on Sunday had contacted him and told him it was preparing a story about his condition. January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ... HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, OM, (born July 18, 1918) before becoming President of South Africa, was one of its chief anti-apartheid activists, and was also an anti-apartheid saboteur. ... AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, sometimes written Aids) is a human disease characterized by weakening of the bodys immune system and capacity to fight infection and certain cancers. ... March 4, 2005 cover of Private Eye; this is a typical example of the magazines front cover. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ...

After over 20 years in Parliament, Smith stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election. It was announced on 30 April 2005 that he is to be granted a Life Peerage. He took up a position as Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, an initiative aimed at helping to train and develop new leaders of Britain's cultural sector. He is also currently a board member of the Royal National Theatre and Chairman of the Wordsworth Trust. Smith is a keen mountaineer and was the first MP to climb all the 3,000ft "Munros" in Scotland. Barring a change in the law, the next general election in the United Kingdom must be held some time before June 30, 2006. ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining, as the last day in April. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain is a building and theatre company on Londons South Bank. ... William Wordsworth, English poet William Wordsworth (April 7, 1770 - April 23, 1850) was an English poet who with Samuel Taylor Coleridge launched the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads. ... Aonach Eagach, a popular ridge between two munros in Glen Coe, Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh A Munro is a Scottish hill with a height over 3000 feet (914. ... Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ...

External links

• Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - Chris Smith (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-4833,00.html)
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Chris Smith MP (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?pid=10547)
• BBC News - Former minister is HIV-positive (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4219501.stm)
• Guardian - Smith hopes HIV revelation will help fight Aids in Africa (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1402074,00.html)

The Right Honourable Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Bottomley (born March 12, 1948 née Garnett) is a British Conservative Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is a UK cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. ... The Right Honourable Tessa Jane Helena Douglas Jowell (born September 17, 1947) is a British politician who is Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. ...