ANDREW Smith today celebrates 25 years as Labour MP for Oxford East, and exclusively revealed to the Oxford Mail he has no plans to retire in the near future.

Speaking at the terraced Blackbird Leys home he has shared with wife Val for the past 33 years, the 61-year-old father of one vowed he would stand again at the next General Election in 2015, if he is selected by the local party.

Mr Smith said: “In 1987 it was a close-fought election with sitting Conservative MP Steve Norris.

“When the ballots were first laid out on the tables at the Town Hall, it didn’t look like I had enough votes, but then a cheer went up from the gallery as Labour supporters noticed another row of votes and we had done it by about 1,000. I went from despondency to exhilaration in just a few seconds.”

After winning the seat, Mr Smith, a city councillor for about 10 years who worked for the Co-operative Society as a member relations officer, never looked back.

In 1999, then Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed him Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

He then became Work and Pensions Secretary, but resigned in 2004 so that he could spend more time in his constituency.

In his diaries, Mr Blair claimed Mr Smith resigned because he thought he was going to be sacked, but Mr Smith has a different version of events.

He said: “These were huge jobs and I greatly enjoyed being responsible for big programmes and implementing them, and having a positive effect on people’s lives.

“But these jobs are relentless and you can’t at the same time do as much in your constituency as you would like.”

Mr Smith said his political experience told him that it was time he devoted more hours to constituency matters.

And after the unpopular decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003, which he supported, Mr Smith realised that the 2005 General Election would be tight.

He was right.

He hung on to his seat with a majority of just 963.

Mr Smith said: “I never thought that being a minister was the be all and end all of everything.

“Voting for the war was a serious decision to take. If we had the information we now have it is quite likely the war would not have gone ahead.

“The decision was significantly based on the supposition that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.”

The close call made Oxford East a key battleground at the 2010 General Election, with many predicting a victory for the resurgent Liberal Democrats.

However, Mr Smith fought off the challenge and extended his majority to 4,581.

Mr Smith said he was pleased that during the expenses scandal he had handed over all his receipts for scrutiny by the Oxford Mail at the earliest possible opportunity.

“There are times in politics as in life when you have to walk towards the flames and that was one of them,” he admitted. “The system needed to be independently regulated and it is now much better regulated.”

The veretan MP points to the significant developments at Oxford hospitals, including the new Cancer Centre, and working to retain car production in Cowley among his achievements.

But he regrets the city still faces major housing issues.

He said: “This points to the need to build on suitable sites on the outskirts of the city, like Grenoble Road, and I am convinced that’s what will happen.”

When the Commons is sitting Mr Smith stays during the week in his Lambeth flat in London.

But when he is not sitting, he still enjoys knocking on doors to find out the major concerns of his constituents.

He added: “As an MP there can be difficult votes and difficult issues but you have to put that in the broader context of the job, which is very interesting, varied and rewarding. I have been very fortunate to be able to do it.

“I have always found the support of local people an inspiration in my time as MP.”

Mr and Mrs Smith share their terraced home with several cats including a black stray called Sammy they took in about a year ago. Their son Luke, 38, who has a 14-year-old daughter called Mirai, works for Bristol City Council.

Speaking about the future, Mr Smith said: “There has never been a time when I have not wanted to be a local MP.

“The main reason for that is that I have been able to help people in my local area.

“This is the most rewarding job and I enjoy it as much as I ever have.”