Lord Chris Smith, the first openly gay MP, named Chancellor of Cambridge University
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Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, the first MP to come out as gay, has been elected as the new Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, marking a historic moment for the 800-year-old institution.
Lord Smith, a Labour peer and former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under Tony Blair, will succeed Lord Sainsbury of Turville in the largely ceremonial role. He emerged victorious in a competitive race against nine other candidates, including broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, and former BP chief Lord Browne of Madingley.
The election was notable for being the first in the university’s history to allow online voting, with over 25,000 alumni and staff participating. Although Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queen’s College, Cambridge, led in first-choice votes, Lord Smith secured the position through the single transferable vote system.
In his statement following the announcement, Lord Smith said:
“To be elected as chancellor of the university I love is a huge honour. I’m thrilled. I look forward to being the best possible ambassador for Cambridge, to being a strong voice for higher education more generally, and to working closely together with the vice-chancellor and her team.”
Lord Smith, who has served as Master of Pembroke College since 2015, will hold the chancellorship for a non-renewable 10-year term. His appointment has been widely welcomed, with Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice praising his “long involvement with the university” and “wealth of relevant experience”.
Elected to Parliament in 1983, Smith made history in 1984 by becoming the first MP to publicly acknowledge he was gay.
Lord Smith made history in 1984 when, during a rally in Rugby against a proposed ban on gay employees, he began his speech with the words: “Good afternoon, I’m Chris Smith, I’m the Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury and I’m gay.”
This simple yet powerful declaration made him the first British MP to voluntarily come out as gay, at a time when LGBTQ+ rights were still heavily stigmatised.
Throughout his career, Smith has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ equality. He served as an Honorary Vice-President of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) and was consistently ranked among the most influential LGBTQ+ figures in the UK, including being placed third in the Pride Power List 2011.
In 2005, he again broke ground by becoming the first MP to publicly disclose that he was HIV positive, helping to challenge stigma and promote awareness around HIV/AIDS.
His legacy as a pioneer for LGBTQ+ visibility in politics continues to inspire new generations. As one commentator noted: “For LGBTQ people interested in British politics, Lord Smith is something of an icon”.
