Glasgow University’s noble tribute to John Smith

A UNIVERSITY is creating a new centre to “promote public service as a noble vocation” in tribute to former Labour Party leader John Smith who died 20 years ago today.

Glasgow University will open the centre in tribute to alumni and former Labour leader John Smith. Picture: TSPL

The University of Glasgow said the new centre would provide a lasting, fitting and meaningful tribute to his life and work.

Its focus will be to encourage debate and provide research around the value of public service, as well as attracting young people to contribute to public life, with a view to restoring the reputation of the role of public servants.

The John Smith Centre for Public Service will be operational by the end of this year at the university, where John and his wife Elizabeth Smith both studied and first met.

Baroness Smith said: “The night before he died, John gave a speech at a Labour Party Gala Dinner in London concluding with the words: ‘The opportunity to serve our country - that is all we ask.’ It is that single phrase that encapsulates a lifetime of seeking to help others through efforts in public service.”

“I am sure if he was still with us today it would trouble John greatly to find public life held in so low esteem. Given all he stood for, I believe John’s life can still serve as an inspiration to a future generation who at present may not see the value of such work.

“I am hugely excited by this new initiative. The work of the Centre will seek to define what public service is in the modern age, how it should be conducted and how everyone can consider contributing to it, whether in local communities or on the world stage.”

The John Smith Centre for Public Service will soon begin the process of recruiting a director to oversee its work and also to secure funding for its research programme for 2015.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “As a University we are delighted to be part of an initiative for which we think we are the perfect home. John Smith was one of our most distinguished alumni.

“His influence and impact were, and are, profound. It is clear that we now live in an age of crisis and renewal. We should focus on the opportunities for renewal and creating the institutions and ideals that can drive improvement across society. The John Smith Centre for Public Service will be a suitable vehicle to deliver on these aims.”

John Smith trained as an Advocate and was first elected to Parliament in 1970 as Labour member for North Lanarkshire.

He was elected as Leader of the Labour Party in 1992.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “John Smith was a man of great decency and deep integrity. His unshakeable commitment to public service was rooted in his Labour values and his deep desire to improve the lives of people across the country.

“John’s legacy lives on today. From the minimum wage to the creation of the Scottish Parliament. He campaigned for these changes and many more throughout his political lifetime and they were delivered by a Labour government.”

He added: “John knew the difference that politics and public service could make. The creation of the John Smith Centre for Public Service at the University of Glasgow is a fitting tribute. It will ensure his legacy lives on and his life will influence a new generation.”