Peter Richard Charles Smith, Baron Smith of Leigh (born 24 July 1945) is a British politician (Labour) and Life Peer

Life peer

In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...

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Life

Smith has been a member of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council since 1978 and was chairman of finance committee 1982 to 1991. Since 1991 he has been Leader of the council.
He was created a life peer in 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 PLP Departmental Committee for Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He is currently the Chairman of Local Government Leadership

Local Government Leadership

Local Government Leadership is one of the six bodies that form the Local Government Group in England and Wales overseen by the Local Government Association . Its purpose is to develop leadership skills among both local authority members and officials...

, a body seeking to develop leadership skills in local government.

Sources

• http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-peter-smith
• http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alphabetical_list_of_members.cfm#K