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Julie Smith, Baroness Smith of Newnham

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The Right Honourable
The Baroness Smith of Newnham
Official portrait, 2021
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 September 2014
Life Peerage
Member of Cambridge City Council for Newnham
In office
May 2003 – May 2015
Personal details
Born (1969-06-01) 1 June 1969 (age 55)
Political partyLiberal Democrat
EducationMerchant Taylors' Girls' School
Alma materBrasenose College, Oxford
St Antony's College, Oxford

Julie Elizabeth Smith, Baroness Smith of Newnham (born 1 June 1969) is an academic specialising in European politics and a Liberal Democrat politician. From 2003 to 2015, she was a local councillor on Cambridge City Council. Since September 2014, she has been a life peer and a member of the House of Lords.

Early life

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Smith was born on 1 June 1969.[1] From 1980 to 1987, she was educated at Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, an all-girls selective private school based in Great Crosby, Merseyside.[2] After taking a gap year, she studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Brasenose College, Oxford and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. She then undertook postgraduate study in politics at St Antony's College, Oxford, graduating with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree.[1][3] Her doctoral supervisor was William Wallace,[4] and her doctoral thesis was titled "Direct elections to the European Parliament: a reevaluation" and was submitted in 1995.[5] Having been awarded a Hanseatic Scholarship, she undertook further study in Hamburg from 1995 to 1997.[6]

Career

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Academic career

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Smith began her academic career lecturing in the International Relations and European Studies Department of the Central European University, an English-language university in Budapest, Hungary.[3] In 1997, she joined the University of Cambridge as a lecturer in European politics.[2] She was later promoted to senior lecturer in International Relations and became a Fellow of Robinson College.[3] From 1999 to 2003, she was additionally the head of the European Programme at Chatham House.[6] She was made a Reader in European Politics in October 2018.[7] In 2021, she was appointed Professor of European Politics.[8][9]

Political career

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Smith is a Liberal Democrat politician. From 2003 to May 2015, she was a local councillor representing Newnham on Cambridge City Council.[10][11][7] She is also a vice-chair of the Liberal Democrats Federal Policy Committee.[12]

In August 2014, it was announced that Smith would be made a life peer.[13] On 12 September 2014 she was created Baroness Smith of Newnham, of Crosby in the County of Merseyside.[14] She made her maiden speech in the House of Lords on 25 November 2014, during a debate on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.[4]

Involvement in EU Referendum

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As demonstrated by the topic of Smith's maiden speech, she is firmly convinced of the benefits that the EU brings to the UK.

She has now taken an active involvement in Cambridge for Europe, a campaign which wants "to spread a positive message regarding the UK's continued involvement in the EU".[15] Smith is one of the group's leading patrons.[16]

Selected works

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  • Citizens' Europe?: European Elections and the Role of the European Parliament. Royal Institute of International Affairs. 1994. ISBN 0905031849.
  • Voice of the people: European Parliament in the 1990s. Royal Institute of International Affairs. 1995. ISBN 0905031881.
  • Europe's elected parliament (Contemporary European Studies). Sheffield Academic Press. 1999. ISBN 1850759995.

References

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  1. ^ a b Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Candidates Association (2011). Who's Who in the Liberal Democrats. The Quays, Bewdley DD12 2DX: PCA Books. ISBN 978-1-907046-27-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ^ a b "Old Girl Julie Smith becomes Baroness Smith of Newnham". Merchant Taylors' Schools. Retrieved 6 September 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ a b c "Dr Julie Smith". The Department of Politics and International Studies. University of Cambridge. October 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b Baroness Smith of Newnham (25 November 2014). "EU: UK Membership". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 757. United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 821–822.
  5. ^ Smith, Julie (1995). Direct elections to the European Parliament: a reevaluation. E-Thesis Online Service (Ph.D). The British Library Board. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Dr Julie Smith". libdems.org.uk. Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Baroness Smith of Newnham". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Professor Julie Smith". Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Julie Smith: Brexit negotiations have been damaging for both sides". revdem.ceu.edu. Review of Democracy. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ "The Lib Dem team". Newnham Liberal Democrats. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  11. ^ Colin Rosenstiel. "Cambridge City Council Elections – Newnham Ward". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Federal Policy Committee". Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Karren Brady and Sir Stuart Rose among new life peers". BBC News. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  14. ^ "Crown Office Notice 2197486". The London Gazette. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  15. ^ "Cambridge For Europe". Cambridge For Europe. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Cambridge For Europe". Cambridge For Europe. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
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