At our recent Annual General Meeting, our Chairman, the Very Rev. John Richardson announced that our President, the Rt Hon. the Lord Fowler, would be stepping down after many years of dedicated service. We are honoured to welcome Lord Smith of Finsbury as our new President for the next five years.
Lord Chris Smith brings a wealth of experience and an impressive career in public service. Born in 1951, he was educated at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he achieved a double first in English. As a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard, Lord Smith furthered his studies, eventually completing his PhD on Wordsworth and Coleridge at Cambridge in 1979.
His career in politics began as a Labour Councillor for Islington Borough, where he served for five years, including a term as Chairman of Housing. In 1983, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Islington South and Finsbury, and during his time in Parliament, he introduced the Environment and Safety Information Act as a Private Member’s Bill in 1988.
In a historic and courageous moment in 1984, Chris Smith became the first openly gay MP in Britain, choosing to come out during a rally in Rugby, Warwickshire. His spontaneous and unscripted declaration was met with a standing ovation from much of the audience, marking a significant step forward for LGBTQIA+ representation in politics.
Lord Smith’s career continued to grow, and by 1992, he joined the Shadow Cabinet, initially serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Environmental Protection. After Labour’s victory in 1997, he was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport and became Chairman of the Millennium Commission, helping to shape some of the UK’s most significant cultural landmarks and initiatives.
After leaving the House of Commons in 2005, he was elevated to the House of Lords, where he took the title of the Rt Hon. the Lord Smith of Finsbury. His leadership extended into the cultural sector, serving as Director of the Clore Leadership Programme and Chairman of the Environment Agency, among many other significant roles.
Lord Smith has also been open about his health, revealing in 2005 that he had been living with HIV since 1987. His decision to share this news publicly was inspired by Nelson Mandela’s announcement about his son’s death from AIDS.
We are thrilled to have Lord Smith join Mildmay as our new President, where his leadership and passion will help us continue our mission of providing specialist care and support to those living with HIV and other complex needs.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Lord Fowler
We owe a great debt of gratitude to Lord Fowler for his decades of commitment to Mildmay. His role in the rebirth of Mildmay in the 1980s was pivotal, helping it become the UK’s first specialist care centre for people living with HIV/AIDS. As President over the last five years, Lord Fowler guided us through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring our survival during a challenging time. His efforts behind the scenes and his influence have been instrumental in keeping our doors open. As Lord Fowler modestly reflects:
“When I was Health Secretary back in the 1980s, I was presented with a proposal that in effect Mildmay should be closed… I was opposed to this, and I am delighted to say that I was able to use my influence to prevent it.”
In fact, we would not be here today without Lord Fowler’s advocacy while President, and we are grateful for his hard work and dedication. We wish him all the best in his retirement and look forward to building upon his legacy with Lord Smith leading the way.
Lord Fowler’s message to the Mildmay Hospital 2024 AGM:
"Firstly, may I congratulate you on your new President, Chris Smith, who I have always much admired, and I know will be absolutely excellent.
Secondly, I would like to congratulate Mildmay on its notable history over the last decades. Personally, I feel I have only one really significant claim to having made a contribution - but perhaps an important one. When I was Health Secretary back in the 1980s, I was presented with a proposal that in effect Mildmay should be closed. It was at a time when small hospitals were seriously out of fashion. I was opposed to this, and I am delighted to say that I was able to use my influence to prevent it.
Since then, we have had more financial challenges and doubtless there will be others in the future. But the fact is that the reputation of Mildmay is extremely high thanks largely to its excellent leadership and committed staff.
I am pleased to see that the future for Mildmay is now more secure, and I know will be built up further under your new president.
So let me thank you for all your hard and devoted work."
Norman Fowler
The Rt Hon the Lord Fowler MA KT PC
After serving as Shadow Minister of Transport, Lord Norman Fowler was appointed Minister of Transport in 1979, being responsible for making seat belts compulsory.
Later, as Secretary of State for Health and Social Services, he drew public attention to the dangers of AIDs and was determined to take whatever action was necessary to tackle the crisis, despite considerable opposition from tabloids, faith leaders, and fellow ministers. Although he left the position of health secretary in 1987, he never stopped campaigning on issues around HIV/AIDS. He resigned from the cabinet as Employment Secretary and was knighted in 1990.
Lord Fowler was Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1992 to 1994, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions from 1997 to 1998, and Shadow Home Secretary from 1998 to 1999. In 2001, he was created a Conservative life peer. He renounced party political allegiance upon taking office as Lord Speaker. On 25 February 2021, he announced that in April he would be stepping down as Lord Speaker to focus on campaigning work, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS.
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