Smith was educated at Bedford Modern School 1969-76. He joined Bedford County Press as a copyholder in 1976 before becoming an indentured trainee reporter. He worked for local and regional newspapers then joined the Press Association as a parliamentary reporter in 1984; worked for The Sun as a political correspondent and Industrial Editor before re-joining the PA as Political Editor in 1998. He retired through ill health in 2011. He is the author of ‘Election 2005’ (London, Methuen, 2005).