Michael Smithson (born 11 May 1946) is a writer, a former Liberal Democrat politician and expert on betting on politics who in 2004 founded the website politicalbetting.com. [1] Since January 2008 he has been the full-time editor of the site. As a result, The Daily Telegraph described him as the 33rd most influential over-50 on Twitter in 2014. [2] He has been described as "perhaps the most influential person in the British political betting community". [3]
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(January 2023) |
Much of his early career was a BBC News journalist. From 1977 to 1982 he represented the UK's radio and television journalists on the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Since 1994, he has worked as Director of Development running the fundraising for five UK universities - for the London School of Economics from 1994 to 1996, for Cambridge University from 1996 to 1999, for Oxford University from 1999 to 2005, and for the University of York from 2005 to April 2007. He also had a spell at Open University.
During his university fundraising career he has oversaw approaches that have led to more than £550m being raised. This included the $100m gift by James Martin to establish the James Martin 21st Century School at the University of Oxford - the largest ever single alumni donation to a UK university.
He is a former fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge and Magdalen College, Oxford.
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(January 2023) |
He joined the Liberal Democrats on their foundation, and stood for Parliament in North Bedfordshire at the 1992 general election. He was twice elected in 1989 and 1993 as a County Councillor in Bedfordshire, and also in 1996 as a Borough Councillor in Bedford. He has not been politically active since then.
In 2007, his book, The Political Punter - How to make money betting on politics, was published by Harriman House. [4] Prospect described it as an "excellent how-to guide". [5]
He has also acted as a consultant for Betfair and written a column for them. [6]
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(January 2023) |
Mike Smithson is married to Jacqueline Smithson and has two daughters and a son, Robert Smithson, who uncovered the Lernout & Hauspie fraud.
His brother is the film and television producer John Smithson. His grandfather was Charles Smithson, mayor of Nelson, Lancashire.
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon,, better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internationally, he is recognised for his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Mark Oaten is a British politician who was a senior member of the Liberal Democrats. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Winchester from 1997 to 2010.
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Gregory Thomas Mulholland is a British Liberal Democrat politician who was the MP for Leeds North West.
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John Sampson Macfarlane Leech is a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington from 2005 to 2015. Since 2016, he has represented Didsbury West on Manchester City Council.
This timeline of events in the Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006 lists the events covering the period from Charles Kennedy's initial call for a leadership election with the Liberal Democrats to the conclusion of the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election.
Mike Smithson may refer to:
John Alexander Melvin Hemming is a British Liberal Democrat politician and businessman who served as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley from 2005 until 2015.
Dorothy Thornhill, Baroness Thornhill, was the first directly elected mayor of Watford, Hertfordshire, England. She was the Liberal Democrats' first directly elected mayor, and was also the first female directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. She served as Mayor of Watford from May 2002 until May 2018. She was nominated for a life peerage in August 2015.
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John Henry Harris, Baron Harris of Greenwich, was an English journalist, political aide and politician. After serving as a local councillor and political advisor and aide to a number of Labour politicians including Roy Jenkins, he was created a life peer in order to become Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Wilson and Callaghan governments between 1974 and 1979. He became a founder member of the Social Democrats, becoming the Liberal Democrats Chief Whip in the House of Lords between 1994 and 2001.
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Elections to Mid Bedfordshire District Council were held in May 2007. These were the last elections to council, with all 53 seats being up for election. Councillors elected would serve a two-year term, expiring in 2009, when Mid Bedfordshire District Council was replaced by Central Bedfordshire Council. The Conservative Party retained overall control of the council, winning 37 of 53 seats on the council. The Conservatives won 8 seats unopposed, as did an Independent candidate in one ward.
The 2017 Liberal Democrats leadership election was held following the resignation of Tim Farron as leader on 14 June 2017, after just under two years as leader of the Liberal Democrats. At the close of applications on 20 July 2017, Vince Cable was the only nominated candidate and was therefore declared the new leader of the party.
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