Cat Smith

Green graphic with a photo of Cat Smith MP on the right, and the crowned portcullis logo on the bottom right. Graphic contains white text that reads: Procedure Committee "The flexibility of House of Commons business reassures constituents that they can rely on their MP to perform Parliament's core scrutiny function by holding the Government to account in a timely and effective way. However, this does undoubtedly make it challenging to predict the start time and duration of individual business items. Call lists in isolation will not have the desired impact that has been envisaged. The Committee believes they could have a knock-on effect on dynamic debate on emerging topics of national importance, and on the powers of the Chair in managing the flow of debates." Cat Smith MP, Chair

NEW: We recommend that call lists are not adopted by the House of Commons, as they are not an appropriate tool to improve certainty of timings over the parliamentary day.

📝 Read our report: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...

Our chair @catsmithmp.bsky.social comments on our findings ⬇️

'Alcohol harm is a public health crisis — and industry lobbying is blocking action' - LabourList Alcohol deaths remain high and harm costs billions, yet industry lobbying helped strip marketing restrictions from England’s 10 Year Health Plan. We need better conflict of interest guidance argues Ca...

Alcohol harm is a public health crisis, yet industry lobbying is blocking the action we know works.

We must put people’s health before profits, protect children, and back evidence-based policy to reduce harm and ease pressure on our NHS.

labourlist.org/2026/02/alco...

#PublicHealth #AlcoholHarm

Headshot of Cat Smith MP, who has shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses, smiling against a grey background. The Action for M.E. logo appears in the top right corner. Below, a banner reads: “Policy news – Cat Smith joins our Parliamentary Champions network.”

A statement from Cat Smith MP on joining Action for ME as a Parliamentary Champion. She speaks about hearing from constituents about the devastating impact of ME, recognising the overlap with other long-term illnesses, and the need for more awareness, research, and joined-up care.

We are delighted to welcome @catsmithmp.bsky.social as our newest Parliamentary Champion!

We would like to thank Cat and we look forward to working with her. Read more here: www.actionforme.org.uk/cat-smith-mp...

The Constitution Unit. Do the government's electoral reforms go far enough? 24 October 2025, 1:00pm–2:00pm. Cat Smith MP (Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre). Rose Whiffen (Senior Research Officer at Transparency International UK). Tom Hawthorn (Head of Policy at the Electoral Commission). Prof David Howarth (Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and former Electoral Commissioner). Chair: Prof Alan Renwick (Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit).

Does the elections white paper go far enough?

On 24 October, join @catsmithmp.bsky.social, @rosewhiff.bsky.social, Tom Hawthorn and David Howarth at our free, online event to consider if the government's plans are sufficient to ensure electoral integrity.

Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

🕊️ Politically I’ve called out this genocide, called for peace. Practically I’m going to fundraise for amazing charities who do all they can to save lives.

I’m running the Great Scottish Run for Medical Aid for Palestinians who do life saving work in unthinkable circumstances.

As I set off, I’ve raised £4,903 for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. If you can, you can pledge your support here: www.justgiving.com/page/cat-smi...

Congratulations @lucympowell.bsky.social who won the nomination of Lancaster and Wyre CLP at our special meeting this morning.

Cat's fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians Help Cat Smith raise money to support Medical Aid for Palestinians

Today our government ensured 10 sick children arrived in the UK for treatment. With hospitals decimated in Gaza this was a life-saving effort.

But, for those still trapped, Medical Aid for Palestinians works on the ground.

I’m running a half marathon for them: www.justgiving.com/page/cat-smi...

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry Commission’s 72-page legal analysis cites examples including scale of killings, aid blockages and forced displacement * Middle East crisis – live updates A UN commission of inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts. It cited examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to rights groups and others that have reached the same conclusion. Continue reading...

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry

Minimum unit pricing on alcohol could save lives Not someone I often find myself agreeing with, but Milton Friedman wasn’t wrong when he said: “Only a crisis – actual or perceived – produces real ...

Alcohol deaths are at record highs. As @catsmithmp.bsky.social MP writes, we need action now.

Minimum Unit Pricing in England would save lives, reduce inequality, and support our pubs.

"But crucially, no single policy will be...

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti... - @politicshome.bsky.social

Reshaping procedure: Exploring new ideas for improving parliamentary practices When you hear the word ‘procedure’ you probably think of standing orders, Erskine May and the MPs’ Guide to Procedure. But the Procedure Committee’...

Read more about the work of @commonsproccom.parliament.uk which I chair.

From proxy voting to the way in which select committee chairs get elected. We are busy reviewing the procedures of the House of Commons and, hopefully, recommending improvements!

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

🇺🇦 The Prime Minister has shown strong leadership in the fast moving events of recent days, both in supporting Ukraine against the Russian aggressor and bringing together our allies.

🤝 I am pleased the Prime Minster reiterated our commitment to restoring International Aid to 0.7% when we can.

The Procedure Committee of the House of Commons has published its first report of this parliament into government responses to Written Parliamentary Questions.

We welcome the improved response times but note a decrease in the number of questions asked.

committees.parliament.uk/publications...

I don’t want to buy this off the shelf, ‘one size’ only model of local government | Parliament Politics Magazine In the next few weeks we expect the white paper on local government devolution in England to be published. A real statement of intent from the Labour

Local government should work for the local people it claims to be close to. That could mean different parts of England look different, with some mayoral models and some council led.

Time to ditch a “one size” fits all approach of metro mayors.

parliamentnews.co.uk/i-dont-want-...

The Treasury states that cuts and freezes to alcohol duty since 2013 have cost £15 billion. This cost will continue to grow in coming years.

That's enough to pay the salaries of 429 thousand nurses in the NHS.

@catsmithmp.bsky.social question to James Murray

🚑 land purchase for a new hospital for Lancaster!

🎉 This is a game-changer. It shows that in just a few months of a Labour government, fundamental progress is being made and provides certainty about the future of healthcare in Lancaster.