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  Smith, Cyril
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationLiberal Democrats  
 
NameCyril Smith
Address
, , United Kingdom
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born June 28, 1928
DiedSeptember 03, 2010 (82 years)
ContributorNew Jerusalem
Last ModifedNew Jerusalem
Nov 27, 2012 12:45pm
Tags Cancer - Unitarian - Celibate - Disputed -
InfoSir Cyril Smith

A powerful figure in Rochdale politics for almost half a century, Smith was a populist politician who moved from Labour to the Liberals in 1970 and was subsequently the town's Liberal MP from 1972 until his retirement twenty years later.
Smith, one of the most recognisable MPs of his day, was a popular figure in his constituency and acquired something of a cult figure outside it. This was largely due to his populist political positions, bluff manner and knack for self-promotion, but partially because of his immense size; at one stage he weighed nearly thirty stone (420 lb), making him the heaviest MP in the history of the Commons. Smith's reputation suffered from accusations made in 2008 that he lobbied for the asbestos industry (he was a major shareholder in the Rochdale-based asbestos manufacturer Turner & Newell and spoke on behalf of the industry in the Commons) and from long-running claims that he sexually abused boys at the Cambridge House hostel in the 1960s. These claims were confirmed as genuine by Greater Manchester Police in 2012.


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NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Nov 30, 2012 12:00pm Scandal Cyril Smith rumours were known to Liberal party  Article New Jerusalem 
Nov 27, 2012 12:00pm Scandal Sir Cyril Smith: Former MP sexually abused boys, police say  Article New Jerusalem 
Nov 13, 2012 12:00pm Scandal Late MP Cyril Smith accused of abusing boys  Article New Jerusalem 

DISCUSSION
Importance? 8.00000 Average

FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  06/11/1987 UK Parliament - Rochdale Won 43.39% (+5.42%)
  06/09/1983 UK Parliament - Rochdale Won 46.10% (+16.00%)
  05/03/1979 UK Parliament - Rochdale Won 45.03% (+10.75%)
  10/10/1974 UK Parliament - Rochdale Won 42.66% (+5.85%)
  02/28/1974 UK Parliament - Rochdale Won 49.11% (+17.30%)
  10/26/1972 UK Parliament - Rochdale - By-election Won 42.29% (+11.16%)
  06/18/1970 UK Parliament - Rochdale Lost 30.40% (-11.17%)
ENDORSEMENTS
UK Parliament - Rochdale - By-election - Feb 13, 1958 LAB Jack McCann