Smith was unable to hold the seat at the 1979 general election, when Labour's Frank Haynes won with a majority of 7,797 votes. He was one of only five Conservative MPs to lose their seats at that election, four of whom had been by-election victors.
Smith lost his seat at the 1979 general election, while Labour's Frank Haynes won with a majority of 7,797 votes.  He was one of only five Conservative MPs to lose their seats that year, and four of them had previously been elected in by-elections.