Alyn Edward Smith (born 15 September 1973) is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stirling from 2019 until 2024 when he unsuccessfully stood for the Stirling and Strathallan seat. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland from 2004 to 2019.[1] He has been serving as SNP Spokesperson for Europe and EU Accession since December 2022.[2]
Early life and education
Smith was born in Glasgow on 15 September 1973 to Jane and Edward Smith.[3] He grew up between Scotland and Saudi Arabia.
Smith later moved to London, where he qualified as a lawyer with commercial solicitors law firm Clifford Chance, working with them from 1997 to 1999. He was with another solicitors firm, Anderson Strathern, from 2000 to 2002. Smith was a director of Turning Point Scotland from 2011 to 2015, and a trustee of LGBT Youth Scotland from 2012 to 2017. He is Honorary Vice President of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).[1]
Following his re-election in 2014, Smith served as a full member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, remaining a voice in agriculture as alternate member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. He was also a full member of both the Delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula, and the Delegation for relations with Iraq.[10]
On 27 March 2019, Smith gave a speech to the European Parliament where he argued that Brexit was causing Scotland to be removed from the EU against the will of the Scottish people and claimed that Scottish independence could provide a means for Scotland to rejoin the EU. Many newspaper headlines cited his closing line: "I'm asking you to leave a light on so we can find our way home."[11][12][13]
On Sky News in May 2019, Smith claimed that the Brexit Party was "a shell company that's a money laundering front". After the party's chairman threatened legal action,[14][15] Smith apologised unreservedly and admitted that he had no evidence for his allegation, made a major contribution to the party chairman's legal costs and made a donation to charity. It is alleged that Smith's donation was paid by the SNP out of member's party donations.[16]
All new EU accession states must commit to joining the euro as a condition of membership[17] and in May 2019 Smith said that Scotland should be "open" to joining the euro if the country becomes independent.[18] In 2021 Smith said an independent Scotland should hold a referendum on the issue. "We would want to participate an economic & monetary union for the macroeconomic stability," Smith told La Repubblica. "The adoption of the euro should be put to the people in a referendum."[19] He also accepted that the SNP's proposals would mean a hard border with England: "The border of Carlisle will be an external border of the European Union, customs union and single market. We've got obligations of policing that, of course."[20]
Following the election, Smith became President of the European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, and by holding that office, First Vice-president of the Greens/EFA Group.[21][22]
On 12 December 2019, Smith was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stirling, unseating the previous Conservative Party incumbent Stephen Kerr with a majority of 9,254 votes or 17.6%.[24] Following his election, Smith ceased to be an MEP, as an individual cannot simultaneously be a member of a member state's legislature and of the European Parliament.[25]
In July 2022 Smith rejected Labour calls for a general election on the grounds that "I... just enjoy what's going on in the UK Government right now because it's actually strengthening our case that Westminster doesn't work."[26]
Smith faced a selection challenge for the SNP candidacy of the Stirling and Strathallan seat from the husband of the constituency MSP Evelyn Tweed.[27] It was reported that Smith "easily" saw off the challenge.[28] However, he subsequently lost the seat in the 2024 general election.[29]
Personal life
On 30 July 2023, Smith married his long-time partner Jonathon Ramsay at Bannockburn House.[30]
^Guerrera, Antonello (28 April 2021). "Dio salvi la Scozia". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
