Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) is a British broadcaster, political commentator and former
Labour Party politician. She was
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) for
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
from 1997 to 2010. She served as
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
from 2007 to 2009 and was the first woman to hold the position.
Smith was born and raised in
Malvern,
Worcestershire. She attended
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The col ...
, before training to become a teacher at
Worcester College of Higher Education and having a career as an economics and business studies teacher. She was elected for Redditch at the
1997 general election. She joined the government in 1999 and served in a series of ministerial positions under Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
. In the
2006 cabinet reshuffle she was promoted to
Chief Whip.
Following
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
's appointment as Prime Minister, Smith became the first female Home Secretary. She resigned as Home Secretary in June 2009 following her involvement in the
United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal that emerged in 2009, concerning expenses claims made by members of the British Parliament in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords over the previous ye ...
in which she had falsely claimed that a room in her sister's house was her main home. Smith, one of the highest profile figures involved in the scandal, then lost her seat as MP for Redditch in the
2010 general election. After leaving the
House of Commons, she remained in public life as a political pundit and took up roles in various other sectors, such as health and media.
Early life and career
Smith was born in
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a spa town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The centre of Malvern, Great Malvern, is a historic conservation area, which gre ...
. She attended
Dyson Perrins High School in Malvern. Her parents were teachers, and both
Labour councillors, although her mother briefly joined the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
. Her local MP,
Conservative backbencher
Michael Spicer
William Michael Hardy Spicer, Baron Spicer, (22 January 1943 – 29 May 2019) was a British politician and life peer who was a Conservative member of the House of Lords from 2010 until 2019. He served as Member of Parliament for West Worcest ...
, recalled in Parliament in 2003 how he had first met her when he addressed the
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for ...
at
The Chase School, where her mother was a teacher; he joked: "So great was my eloquence that she immediately rushed off and joined the Labour Party." Smith obtained a place to study
philosophy, politics and economics at
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The col ...
.
After graduating, she moved to London and worked as a researcher for Labour MP
Terry Davis.
Deciding she wanted a career outside politics, Smith moved out of London and gained a
Postgraduate Certificate in Education from
Worcester College of Higher Education. Working as a school teacher, she taught economics at
Arrow Vale High School in Redditch from 1986 to 1988 and at
Worcester Sixth Form College, before becoming head of economics and
General National Vocational Qualification co-ordinator at
Haybridge High School,
Hagley in 1990. During this time Smith held positions in the local Labour party and campaigned on behalf of the party.
Smith worked as secretary of the National Organisation of Labour Students and describes herself as having a "
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
background". She served on
Redditch Borough Council from 1991 to 1996, where she chaired the development committee. Smith was unsuccessful in an attempt to be elected as (Labour) MP for the safe Conservative seat of
Mid Worcestershire
Mid Worcestershire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Nigel Huddleston, a Conservative.
Members of Parliament
Constituency profile
Income levels are on average considerably higher than the ...
in the
1992 general election, despite achieving a 4.9% swing. In early 1997 she was identified by ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' as a potential future cabinet member.
Political career
Member of Parliament
Smith was selected through an
all-women shortlist
All-women shortlists (AWS) is an affirmative action practice intended to increase the proportion of female Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom, allowing only women to stand in particular constituencies for a particular political p ...
as the Labour candidate for
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
, a new constituency created after a
boundary review. She won the seat in the
1997 general election, as part of a (then) record number of female MPs elected to the
House of Commons.
Smith entered the Government in July 1999, as a
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the
Department for Education and Employment, working with the Minister for School Standards
Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, (born 17 June 1952), is a British politician and life peer who served as Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2002. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) ...
. She then became a
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...
at the
Department of Health after the
2001 general election. She was appointed as deputy
Minister for Women in 2003, working alongside
Secretary of State Patricia Hewitt. In this role she published the government's proposals for same-sex
civil partnerships, a system designed to offer same-sex couples an opportunity to gain legal recognition for their relationships with an associated set of rights and responsibilities.
In the
2005 general election Smith had a majority of just 2,716 (6.7% of the vote), owing to boundary changes.
Minister for Schools
Following the
2005 general election, Smith was appointed
Minister of State for Schools
The Minister of State for Schools, formerly the Minister of State for School Standards and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for School Standards, is a mid-level position in the Department for Education in the British government.
The curre ...
at the
Department for Education and Skills, replacing
Stephen Twigg who had lost his seat. Teacher
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
sources stated that Smith "talked to us on our level".
Chief Whip
In the
2006 cabinet reshuffle Smith was appointed as the government's
Chief Whip. In a period when supporters of
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
were pushing
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
to resign, she was successfully able to calm the situation down.
The
BBC's political editor
Nick Robinson described her as being effective at "making peace between the warring Blair and Brown factions".
Smith was regarded as a loyal
Blairite during
Tony Blair's premiership, a position reflected in her voting record, and she was brought to tears by Blair's farewell appearance in the House of Commons.
Home Secretary
In
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
's
first cabinet reshuffle on 28 June 2007, Smith expressed interest in becoming
Secretary of State for Education, but was appointed
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
. She became the first woman to hold the position and the third woman to hold one of the
Great Offices of State, after
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
(Prime Minister) and
Margaret Beckett (
Foreign Secretary). Just one day into her new job
bombs were found in London, and a
terrorist attack took place in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
the following day.
On 24 January 2008, she announced new powers for the police, including the proposal to permit law enforcement services to hold terrorist suspects or those linked to terrorism for up to
42 days without charging them. In the same month Smith said that she would not feel safe on the streets of London at night. Critics suggested her statements were an admission that the government had failed to tackle crime effectively. Smith also introduced legislation to toughen the
prostitution laws of England and Wales, making it a criminal offence to pay for sex with a prostitute controlled by a
pimp
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...
, with the possibility that anyone caught paying for sex with an illegally
trafficked
''Trafficked'' is a 2017 American thriller drama film directed by Will Wallace and starring Ashley Judd, Sean Patrick Flanery and Anne Archer.
Plot
In California, Sara is eighteen and has to leave her foster home; she is offered training to be a ...
woman could face criminal charges.
Smith introduced a crime mapping scheme to allow citizens of England and Wales to access local crime information and how to combat crime.
As Home Secretary, she was able to announce that minor crime dropped year-on-year under the Labour government, and continued to do so in 2008.
Smith managed to pass the 42-day detention law plans in the House of Commons, despite heavy opposition. The House of Lords voted overwhelmingly against the law, with some of the Lords reportedly characterising it as "fatally flawed, ill-thought-through and unnecessary", stating that "it seeks to further erode fundamental legal and civil rights". In March 2009, Smith published the first ever public Counter Terror Strategy.
When Conservative MP
Damian Green was arrested in his Commons office, Smith stated that she was not informed of the impending arrest. The Metropolitan Police said that Green was "arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office". A junior Home Office official, Christopher Galley, was later arrested regarding the same alleged offences as Green, and was released on bail. He was not charged, but he was suspended from his Home Office job while the investigation continued. He was later dismissed from his position for gross misconduct. Green did not dispute having dealings with the Home Office official.
In March 2009, at the height of the expenses furore, a leaked poll of Labour Party members revealed that Smith was considered to be the worst performing member of the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
, with only 56% of her party believing she was doing a good job.
In October 2018 Chief Prosecutor in
North West England,
Nazir Afzal
Nazir Afzal (born October 1962, Birmingham) is a British solicitor and former prosecutor within the Crown Prosecution Service.
Afzal spent most of his career in the Crown Prosecution Service, rising to be Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West ...
, alleged on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
that the Home Office had issued a memo to all police forces in 2008, informing that the child victims of Pakistani
grooming gangs had made an "informed choice" and "it's not for you police officers to get involved in". Smith ran the Home Office at the time of this alleged instruction.
National identity legislation
In May 2009, Smith announced that the cost of introducing the National Identity Card project (a scheme abandoned by the incoming Liberal-Conservative coalition government in May 2010), had risen to an estimated £5.3 billion, and that it would first become compulsory for foreign students and airport staff. It was planned that the cards would be made available from high-street shops at an estimated cost of £60.
Smith defended her decision to use high-street shops, and stated that the hope was to make enrolment in the scheme a less intimidating experience and to make the cards easier to access. She claimed, despite evidence to the contrary, that the majority of the population was in favour of the scheme.
In another privacy-related issue, Smith said she was disappointed at the
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...
' decision to strike down a law allowing the government to store the DNA and fingerprints of people with no criminal record; in December 2008 an estimated 850,000 such DNA samples were being held in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is En ...
. Her compromise was to scale down the length of time that data could be kept, with a maximum limit of 12 years. This went against the spirit of the Court's decision.
Drug policy
On 19 July 2007, Smith admitted to smoking
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
a few times in Oxford in the 1980s. "I did break the law... I was wrong... drugs are wrong", she said. Asked why students today should listen when she urged them not to try the drug, she said that the dangers of cannabis use had become clearer, including mental health issues and the increasing strength of the drug over the past 25 years. Smith's admission was made public the day after
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
appointed her head of a new government review of UK drugs strategy.
In May 2008, against the recommendations of her own scientific advisers, Smith reversed the government's 2004 decision to downgrade cannabis to a
class C drug, returning it to the status of
class B, with the law change taking effect on 26 January 2009. According to her most senior expert drugs adviser Professor
David Nutt, the following exchange took place between Smith and himself:
In February 2009, Smith was accused by Nutt of making a political decision in rejecting the scientific advice to downgrade ecstasy from a class A drug. The advisory council on the misuse of drugs (ACMD) report on ecstasy, based on a 12-month study of 4,000 academic papers, concluded that it is nowhere near as dangerous as other class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, and should be downgraded to class B alongside amphetamines and cannabis. The advice was not followed; the government saying that it was "not prepared to send a message to young people that we take ecstasy less seriously". Smith was also widely criticised by the scientific community for bullying Professor Nutt into apologising for his factual comments that, in the course of a normal year, more people died from falling off horses than died from taking ecstasy.
Exclusion list
On 5 May 2009, Smith named 16 "undesirable individuals", including convicted murderers and advocates of violence, who were to be banned from entering the United Kingdom over their alleged threat to public order.
Controversially, the exclusion list included outspoken American talk radio host
Michael Savage, who instructed London lawyers to sue Smith for "serious and damaging defamatory allegations".
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The home secretary has made it clear that if such a case was brought that any legal proceedings would be robustly defended."
Smith defended the choice of individuals by declaring, "If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country and, what's more, now we will make public those people that we have excluded." ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' criticised Smith's actions.
Expenses controversies and resignation
Smith was investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over accusations that she had inappropriately designated her sister's home in London as her main residence.
The arrangement had allowed Smith to claim over £116,000 on her family's Redditch home since becoming an MP.
Smith said that she had followed advice from parliamentary authorities.
On 8 February 2009, it was reported in the media that Smith had designated a house in London owned by her sister as her main residence in order to claim a parliamentary allowance for her house in
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
as a secondary home, despite explicitly stating on her website that she "lives in Redditch". When asked whether it was fair that she made claims believed to have been made for items such as a flat-screen TV and scatter cushions, she said that analyses of her receipts had been very particular. In response to criticisms over her housing allowances, she said it was the "nature of the job" that MPs had to furnish and run two properties.
It was also reported that Smith had claimed expenses for a telecoms bill that contained two
pornographic films and two other
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
films. Smith said it was a mistake, and she would repay the amount. The reports made clear that the films had been viewed in the family home at a time when Smith was not present, and that she had given her husband, Richard Timney, a "real ear-bashing" over the incident. This and other cases prompted calls for reform of the additional costs allowance and a new system of payments to be introduced.
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
supported her and said she had done nothing wrong. However,
Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the
Committee on Standards in Public Life, was critical of her actions, stating that naming her sister's spare bedroom as her main home was "near fraudulent". Smith was one of the highest profile politicians involved in the expenses scandal and citing the impact on her family life she later resigned.
In October 2009, it was reported that the Standards Commissioner,
John Lyon, had looked into complaints over her expense claims. He concluded that, although her London home was a genuine home and she had spent more nights there than in her Redditch home, her constituency home was in fact her main home, and that she was in breach of Commons rules, despite "significant mitigating circumstances". The claims for pay-per-view films were also found to be in breach. Ms Smith was not asked to repay any money, but was told to "apologise to the House by means of a personal statement." Smith reacted by saying that she was "disappointed that this process has not led to a fairer set of conclusions, based on objective and consistent application of the rules as they were at the time."
In an interview with ''
Radio Times'' published in February 2011, Smith claimed that her expenses had been scrutinised because she was a woman, saying: "
know that it was my expenses people looked at first because I was a woman and should have been at home looking after my husband and children." Smith said that she had felt "frozen rather than angry" on learning that her husband had entered a parliamentary expenses claim for two pornographic films.
On 2 June 2009, Smith confirmed that she would leave the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
in the next
reshuffle
A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in parli ...
, expected after the local and European elections. She left office on 5 June and returned to the backbenches. She was replaced by
Alan Johnson. In a subsequent interview with ''
Total Politics'' magazine regarding her time as Home Secretary, Smith described how she felt under-qualified for her ministerial roles, adding "when I became Home Secretary, I'd never run a major organisation. I hope I did a good job. But if I did, it was more by luck than by any kind of development of skills. I think we should have been better trained. I think there should have been more induction." Smith's major achievements as Home Secretary were introduction of tougher prostitution laws,
a reduction in crime rates
and promotion of
Police Community Support Officer
A police community support officer (PCSO; cy, swyddog cymorth cymunedol yr heddlu, SCCH), or as written in legislation community support officer (CSO; cy, swyddog cymorth cymunedol, SCC) is a uniformed member of police staff in England and Wal ...
s. Journalist
Andrew Pierce echoed Smith's comments about her unsuitability for the position of home secretary, going further by stating: "Smith, beset by gaffes and errors, was hopelessly out of her depth in one of the most demanding jobs in politics".
Leaving Parliament
In the
general election on 6 May 2010, Smith lost her seat as MP for
Redditch
Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...
to
Karen Lumley of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, who won the seat with a majority of 5,821 votes. Smith said that she had been "immensely honoured" to serve Redditch. Smith wrote an open letter to the new Conservative home secretary
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...
, advising her that the post was often seen as a "poisoned chalice".
After politics
In 2010, she began working as a consultant for
KPMG
KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations.
Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
and as an adviser to Sarina Russo Job Access. She applied to be vice-chairman of the BBC Trust. Smith presented a documentary on pornography, for
BBC Radio 5 Live, called ''Porn Again'' which was broadcast on 3 March 2011. It was followed by a special edition of the
Tony Livesey
Anthony Livesey (born 11 January 1964, Burnley, Lancashire) is a British journalist and broadcaster who presents 'Drive' for BBC Radio 5 Live.
Early life
Livesey was born in Burnley, Lancashire, and lived in nearby Nelson during the early part o ...
show, discussing pornography.
She has regularly been on ''This Week'' and ''
Question Time'' and was also a regular weekly commentator on
Sky News' ''Press Preview''. She also contributed to ''
The Purple Book'' in 2011, putting forward new ideas on crime and policing.
On 24 August 2011 it emerged that Smith had arranged for two prisoners on day-release to paint a room in her house, when they were supposed to be undertaking work to benefit the community. The
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Justi ...
launched an internal investigation into the matter, and Smith made a donation to the charity overseeing the scheme. The episode was condemned by Matthew Elliot of the
TaxPayers' Alliance, who stated: "It's a disgrace that a former home secretary has used prisoners as her personal handymen".
Smith previously co-hosted a weekly show on talk radio station
LBC
LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...
alongside former Conservative cabinet minister
David Mellor – she took over from
Ken Livingstone after he left to contest the London mayoral race of 2012. She became chair of
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust provides adult district general hospital services for Birmingham as well as specialist treatments for the West Midlands.
The trust operates the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston ( ...
in December 2013, though in 2020 she stepped down from this role temporarily to perform in ''
Strictly Come Dancing''.
Smith publicly supported the campaign for the UK to remain in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
in the
2016 EU referendum
The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...
, and continued to argue for a second referendum on the issue until the
2019 general election.
Since 2017, Smith has co-hosted a weekly political and current affairs podcast, entitled For The Many, alongside LBC broadcaster
Iain Dale
Iain Campbell Dale (born 15 July 1962) is a British broadcaster, author and political commentator, and a former publisher and book retailer. He has been a blogger since 2002. In 2005, he became the first openly gay Conservative candidate to c ...
. She has appeared on ''
Good Morning Britain'' on
ITV.
She is also the chair of both the
Jo Cox Foundation and the Sandwell Children's Trust.
In September 2020, it was announced that Smith would compete in the
eighteenth series of ''Strictly Come Dancing''. She was partnered with
Anton du Beke, and became the first celebrity to be voted off the show.
In 2021 she was appointed as chair of both
Barts Health NHS Trust and
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Personal life
Smith married Richard Timney in October 1987 and they have two sons. Smith employed her husband as her parliamentary aide on a salary of £40,000. In January 2020, she and Timney announced they had ended their marriage.
Honours
* 2003: Appointed to the
Privy Council of the United Kingdom, giving her the
honorific title "
The Right Honourable
''The Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The ter ...
" for life.
* 2013: She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Jacqui Smith MPTheyWorkForYou.com – Jacqui Smith MPBBC News – Find Your MP: Jacqui SmithOpen Directory Project — Jacqui Smithdirectory category
The RegisterJacqui Smith on Technology
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jacqui
1962 births
Living people
Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford
Alumni of the University of Worcester
Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Female members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People from Malvern, Worcestershire
People from Redditch (district)
Secretaries of State for the Home Department
UK MPs 1997–2001
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
BBC 100 Women
20th-century British women politicians
21st-century British women politicians
Female interior ministers
English feminists
20th-century English women
20th-century English people
21st-century English women
21st-century English people