Liz Smith was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as a Member for Mid Scotland and Fife and was re-elected in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
Following her long-serving role as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, she was appointed Chief Whip in February 2020 and, in August 2020, she was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. After the 2021 Scottish Parliament election she was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and in September 2024 was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Security.
She chairs three cross party committees; those on Colleges and Universities, Sport and Outdoor Education. She currently has a Member’s Bill in Parliament seeking to ensure that all young people in Scotland have an opportunity to experience residential outdoor education.
Liz lives at Madderty in South Perthshire and was a teacher for 16 years prior to politics. Outside politics, Liz is a keen sportswoman with particular interest in cricket and hill-walking. She won seven caps with the Scottish Women’s Cricket XI, is a former President of the Scottish Women’s Cricket Association, and is an official Munroist on account of her completing all of the 282 peaks in Scotland over 3,000ft.
Liz’s other interests include travel, especially to Switzerland, photography, listening to classical music and cooking.