Karin Smyth was first elected as the Labour MP for Bristol South in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 9,859.
The Bristol South constituency covers the south west of Bristol and includes the areas of Bedminster, Filwood, Hengrove, Southville, and Whitchurch park. This is the Labour Party’s most long standing seat in the south of England outside of London, having been held by Labour continuously ever since 1935.
Smyth was appointed a shadow spokesperson on health in December 2021. Smyth served as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland between 2020 and 2021, having previously served as Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons between 2017 and 2020.
Smyth was a PPS to Keir Starmer between 2016 and 2017, and supported him in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
Born to Irish parents in 1964, Smyth was educated at the University of East Anglia, before undertaking an MBA at Bath University.
Smyth previously worked as an NHS Manager with NHS Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group. Before becoming an MP herself, she also worked as an office manager for then Bristol West MP, Valerie Davey. Smyth also previously served as a Non-Executive director of an NHS Trust.
In 2017 a man was jailed for 14 weeks and issued with a restraining order after making threats to kill the Bristol South MP.
Karin Smyth is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Choice at the End of Life; Apprenticeships; and Trailer and Towing Safety. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on the Union; Ireland and the Irish in Britain; and Small Island Developing States.
Smyth is married with three children.
Email: karin.smyth.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://karinsmyth.com/
Twitter: @karinsmyth
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/karin.smyth.39
