Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 11 October 1999. He had formerly been Minister for Employment, Equal Opportunities and Welfare to Work at the Department for Education and Employment since 6 May 1997.

Educated at Reading Grammar School and St John's College Oxford, he was a member of Oxford City Council from 1976 to 1987 and contested the Oxford East seat in 1983 before winning it four years later.

Before entering Government, he was opposition spokesman for education from 1989 to 1992, a shadow Treasury and economic spokesman from 1992 to 1994, shadow Chief Secretary from 1994 to 1996 and shadow Transport Secretary from 1996 to May 1997.

At DfEE he was in charge of Welfare to Work initiatives such as the New Deal, as well as having a wider role as the Government's representative on the EC's Social Affairs Council, where he was active in promoting the importance of flexibility and entrepreneurship in the employment guidelines.

Aged 48 he is married with one stepson. His home in Oxford is in the Blackbird Leys estate which he represented as a Councillor before entering Parliament.