Jump to content

Jacqui Smith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Baroness Smith of Malvern
Official portrait, 2024
Minister of State for Skills
Assumed office
6 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byLuke Hall
Government spokesperson for Equalities
Assumed office
8 October 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byOffice established
Home Secretary
In office
28 June 2007 – 5 June 2009
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byJohn Reid
Succeeded byAlan Johnson
Chief Whip of the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office
5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byHilary Armstrong
Succeeded byGeoff Hoon
Junior ministerial offices
1999‍–‍2006
Minister of State for Schools and Learners
In office
6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byStephen Twigg
Succeeded byJim Knight
Minister of State for Industry and the Regions
In office
13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byBrian Wilson
Succeeded byAlun Michael
Deputy Minister for Women
In office
13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byBarbara Roche
Succeeded byMeg Munn
Minister of State for Health Services
In office
11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byJohn Denham
Succeeded byRosie Winterton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment
In office
29 July 1999 – 10 June 2001
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byCharles Clarke
Succeeded byJohn Healey
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
18 July 2024
Life Peerage
Member of Parliament
for Redditch
In office
1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byKaren Lumley
Personal details
Born
Jacqueline Jill Smith

(1962-11-03) 3 November 1962 (age 62)
Malvern, Worcestershire, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Richard Timney
(m. 1987; sep. 2019)
Children2
Alma materHertford College, Oxford (BA)
Worcester College of Higher Education (PGCE)

Jacqueline Jill Smith, Baroness Smith of Malvern, PC (born 3 November 1962), is a British politician, broadcaster and life peer who has been serving as Minister of State for Skills and Government spokesperson for Equalities since 2024.[1][2] A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Redditch from 1997 to 2010. Smith previously served as Home Secretary under Gordon Brown 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, 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. In the 2006 cabinet reshuffle she was promoted to Chief Whip.

Following the formation of the Brown ministry in 2007, Smith became the first female Home Secretary. She resigned as Home Secretary in June 2009 following her involvement in the parliamentary expenses scandal in which she had falsely claimed that a room in her sister's house was her main home;[3] she was also the subject of controversy after it emerged that her husband had used taxpayer money to purchase pornographic videos. Smith, one of the highest profile figures involved in the scandal, then lost her seat as MP for Redditch in the 2010 general election. Between leaving the House of Commons and rejoining the government in 2024, 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

[edit]

Smith was born in Malvern, Worcestershire. 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. Her local MP, Conservative backbencher Michael Spicer, recalled in Parliament in 2003 how he had first met her when he addressed the sixth form at The Chase School, where her mother was a teacher;[4] he joked: "So great was my eloquence that she immediately rushed off and joined the Labour Party."[5] Smith obtained a place to study philosophy, politics and economics at Hertford College, Oxford.[6]

After graduating, she moved to London and worked as a researcher for Labour MP Terry Davis.[6][7]

Deciding she wanted a career outside politics, Smith moved out of London and gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education[6] from Worcester College of Higher Education.[8] Working as a school teacher, she taught economics at Arrow Vale High School in Redditch from 1986 to 1988[9] 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.[6]

Smith worked as secretary of the National Organisation of Labour Students[10] and describes herself as having a "feminist background".[11] 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 in the 1992 general election,[6] despite achieving a 4.9% swing. In early 1997 she was identified by The Independent as a potential future cabinet member.[12]

Political career

[edit]

Member of Parliament

[edit]

Smith was selected through an all-women shortlist as the Labour candidate for Redditch,[13] a new constituency created after a boundary review.[6] 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.[14] She then became a Minister of State 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.[15][16]

Minister for Schools

[edit]

Following the 2005 general election, Smith was appointed Minister of State for Schools at the Department for Education and Skills, replacing Stephen Twigg who had lost his seat.[17] Teacher trade union sources stated that Smith "talked to us on our level".[18]

Chief Whip

[edit]

In the 2006 cabinet reshuffle Smith was appointed as the government's Chief Whip. In a period when supporters of Gordon Brown were pushing Prime Minister Tony Blair to resign, she was successfully able to calm the situation down.[18] The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson described her as being effective at "making peace between the warring Blair and Brown factions".[19]

Smith was regarded as a loyal Blairite during Tony Blair's premiership, a position reflected in her voting record,[20] and she was brought to tears by Blair's farewell appearance in the House of Commons.[18]

Home Secretary

[edit]

In Gordon Brown's first cabinet reshuffle on 28 June 2007, Smith expressed interest in becoming Secretary of State for Education,[21] but was appointed Home Secretary. 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 (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 the following day.[22]

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.[23] In the same month Smith said that she would not feel safe on the streets of London at night.[24][25][26] Critics suggested her statements were an admission that the government had failed to tackle crime effectively.[27] 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, with the possibility that anyone caught paying for sex with an illegally trafficked woman could face criminal charges.[28]

Smith introduced a crime mapping scheme to allow citizens of England and Wales to access local crime information and how to combat crime.[29] 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.[30]

Smith managed to pass the 42-day detention law plans in the House of Commons, despite heavy opposition.[31] 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".[32] In March 2009, Smith published the first ever public Counter Terror Strategy.[citation needed]

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.[33][34]

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, with only 56% of her party believing she was doing a good job.[35][36]

National identity legislation

[edit]

In May 2009, Smith announced that the cost of introducing the National Identity Card project, 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.[37] 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.[38] She claimed, despite evidence to the contrary, that the majority of the population was in favour of the scheme.[37][39] In another privacy-related issue, Smith said she was disappointed at the European Court of Human Rights' 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.[40] 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.[41][42]

Drug policy

[edit]

On 19 July 2007, Smith admitted to smoking cannabis 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 appointed her head of a new government review of UK drugs strategy.[43]

In May 2008, against the recommendations of her own scientific advisers,[44] 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.[45] According to her most senior expert drugs adviser Professor David Nutt, the following exchange took place between Smith and himself:

Smith: "You cannot compare the harms of an illegal activity with a legal one."
Nutt then asked whether one shouldn't compare the harms to see if something should be illegal.

Smith (after a long pause): "You can't compare the harms of an illegal activity with a legal one."[46]

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".[47] 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.[48]

Exclusion list

[edit]

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.[49] 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".[50][51]

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."[52] 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."[53] The Guardian[54] criticised Smith's actions.

Expenses controversies and resignation

[edit]

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.[55] The arrangement had allowed Smith to claim over £116,000 on her family's Redditch home since becoming an MP.[56] 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 as a secondary home, despite explicitly stating on her website that she "lives in Redditch".[57] 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.[58]

It was also reported that Smith had claimed expenses for a telecoms bill that contained two pornographic films and two other pay-per-view 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.[59] This and other cases prompted calls for reform of the additional costs allowance and a new system of payments to be introduced.[60] Gordon Brown supported her and said she had done nothing wrong.[61] 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".[62] Smith was one of the highest profile politicians involved in the expenses scandal[63] and citing the impact on her family life she later resigned.[64]

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."[65]

In an interview with Radio Times published in February 2011, Smith claimed that her expenses had been scrutinised because she was a woman, saying: "[I] 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.[66]

On 2 June 2009, Smith confirmed that she would leave the Cabinet in the next reshuffle, expected after the local and European elections.[67] 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."[68] Smith's major achievements as Home Secretary were introduction of tougher prostitution laws,[28] a reduction in crime rates[29] and promotion of Police Community Support Officers. 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".[69]

Leaving Parliament

[edit]

In the general election on 6 May 2010, Smith lost her seat as MP for Redditch to Karen Lumley of the Conservative Party, who won the seat with a majority of 5,821 votes.[70] Smith said that she had been "immensely honoured" to serve Redditch.[71] Smith wrote an open letter to the new Conservative home secretary Theresa May, advising her that the post was often seen as a "poisoned chalice".[72]

After politics (2010–2024)

[edit]

In 2010, she began working as a consultant for KPMG and as an adviser to Sarina Russo Job Access.[73] She applied to be vice-chairman of the BBC Trust.[74] 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 show, discussing pornography.[75] She regularly appeared 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.[citation needed]

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 launched an internal investigation into the matter, and Smith made a donation to the charity overseeing the scheme.[76] 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".[77]

Smith previously co-hosted a weekly show on talk radio station LBC alongside former Conservative cabinet minister David Mellor – she took over from Ken Livingstone after he left to contest the London mayoral race of 2012.[78] She became chair of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust in December 2013,[79][80] though in 2020 she stepped down from this role temporarily to perform in Strictly Come Dancing.[81]

Smith publicly supported the campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union in the 2016 EU referendum, 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.[82] She has appeared on Good Morning Britain on ITV.[81] She is also the chair of both the Jo Cox Foundation[81] and the Sandwell Children's Trust.[83]

In September 2020, it was announced that Smith would compete in the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[84] She was partnered with Anton Du Beke, and became the first celebrity to be voted off the show.[85]

In 2021 she was appointed as chair of both Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.[86]

Return to politics as a member of the House of Lords

[edit]

Following Labour's victory in the 2024 general election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Smith Minister of State for Skills;[87] a life peerage was conferred on her to allow her to hold the position.[1] She was ennobled on the 17 July 2024 with the title Baroness Smith of Malvern, of Malvern in the County of Worcestershire.[88]

Smith was introduced to the House of Lords on 18 July 2024.[89] She made her maiden speech in the Lords on 19 July during a debate on the King's Speech.[90]

Personal life

[edit]

Smith married Richard Timney in October 1987 and they have two sons.[91] While an MP, Smith employed her husband as her parliamentary aide on a salary of £40,000.[92] In January 2020, she and Timney announced they had ended their marriage.[81]

Honours

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: 8 October 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  3. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (12 October 2009). "Jacqui Smith apologises to MPs for misusing second home allowance". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  4. ^ [1] Archived 8 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ House of Commons Hansard Archived 19 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine, 1 April 2003, column 876: Michael Spicer on Jacqui Smith.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Dale 2019, p. 152.
  7. ^ Travis, Alan (2 June 2009). "Profile: Jacqui Smith". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  8. ^ McSmith, Andy (7 June 2008). "Jacqui Smith: Mrs Sensible". The Independent. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  9. ^ New Minister of State for Health Archived 16 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, UK Transplant Bulletin, Autumn 2001.
  10. ^ Castle, Stephen; Birnberg, Ariadne (9 February 1997). "The Cabinet of Tomorrow?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Jacqui Smith 'quit over porn row'". BBC News. 12 July 2009.
  12. ^ Dale 2019, p. 154.
  13. ^ "All women shortlists" (PDF). House of commons library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  14. ^ "Education ministers change in reshuffle". BBC News. 29 July 1999. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  15. ^ "UKPollingReport Election Guide 2010 » Redditch". Ukpollingreport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  16. ^ Coates, Sam; Jenkins, Russell (13 October 2009). "Jacqui Smiths career facing ruin after devastating expenses verdict". The Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  17. ^ "Adviser Adonis made a minister". BBC News. 10 May 2005. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  18. ^ a b c Morris, Nigel (29 June 2007). "First woman at the Home Office: Jacqui Smith". The Independent. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  19. ^ "Profile: Jacqui Smith". BBC News. 19 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  20. ^ "Voting Record — Jacqui Smith MP, Redditch (10549) — The Public Whip". Publicwhip.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  21. ^ a b Dale 2019, p. 153.
  22. ^ Townsend, Mark; Revill, Jo; Kelbie, Paul (1 July 2007). "Terror threat 'critical' as Glasgow attacked". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Smith plans 42-day terror limit". BBC News. 6 December 2007. Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  24. ^ "Home Secretary afraid to walk streets of London at night". The Independent on Sunday. 20 January 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  25. ^ Jones, Sam (21 January 2008). "Fear and kebabs on the streets of Peckham". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Smith plays down street fear row". BBC News. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  27. ^ Oakeshott, Isabel (20 January 2008). "Home secretary Jacqui Smith scared of walking London alone". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
  28. ^ a b "Prostitute users face clampdown". BBC News. 19 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  29. ^ a b "Crime maps online 'by end 2008'". BBC News. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008.
  30. ^ "Recorded crime figures show fall". BBC News. 17 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008.
  31. ^ "Brown wins crunch vote on 42 days". BBC News. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009.
  32. ^ Prince, Rosa (14 October 2008). "Jacqui Smith creates 'emergency bill' after 42-day detention defeat". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
  33. ^ Naughton, Philippe (4 December 2008). "MPs' fresh fury as Jacqui Smith defends Home Office over leaks". The Times.[dead link]
  34. ^ Summers, Deborah (24 April 2009). "Damian Green leaks civil servant sacked". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  35. ^ "UK Polling Report". UK Polling Report. 7 March 2009. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  36. ^ Hennessy, Patrick (7 March 2009). "Harriet Harman less popular than Peter Mandelson among Labour members". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009.
  37. ^ a b "Smith ID comments 'beggar belief'". BBC News. 7 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  38. ^ Jenkins, Russell (6 May 2009). "Jacqui Smith says ID cards could be available from high street shops". The Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009.
  39. ^ "People 'can't wait for ID cards'". BBC News. 7 November 2008. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  40. ^ Meyer, Bill (4 December 2008). "European court in landmark ruling says Britain can't store DNA, fingerprint data of non-criminals". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  41. ^ Mark Thomas (7 May 2009). "Smith's DNA database by stealth". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  42. ^ Jennifer Gold (10 May 2009). "Church leaders condemn Government decision to retain DNA". Christian Today. Archived from the original on 12 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  43. ^ "Home Secretary: I smoked cannabis". BBC News. 19 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  44. ^ Travis, Alan (May 2008). "Scientists warn Smith over cannabis reclassification". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017.
  45. ^ Hope, Christopher (8 May 2008). "Cannabis to be upgraded to class B drug". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  46. ^ Aitkenhead, Decca (6 December 2010). "David Nutt: 'The government cannot think logically about drugs'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  47. ^ Travis, Alan (February 2009). "Government criticised over refusal to downgrade ecstasy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  48. ^ Kmietowicz, Zosia (February 2009). "Home secretary accused of bullying drugs adviser over comments about ecstasy". BMJ. 338. The British Medical Journal: b612. doi:10.1136/bmj.b612. PMID 19218327. S2CID 28874033. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009.
  49. ^ "Home Office name hate promoters excluded from the UK". Press Release. UK Home Office. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  50. ^ "Jacqui Smith sued over shock jock accusations". The Telegraph. 31 May 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  51. ^ Hines, Nico (1 June 2009). "Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to fight shock-jock Michael Savage's lawsuit". The Times. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  52. ^ "Banned 'shock jock' fights back". BBC News. 2 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  53. ^ "US 'hate list' DJ to sue Britain". BBC News. 6 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  54. ^ Bennett, Catherine (10 May 2009). "Yes Jacqui, let's keep out those dangerous homeopaths". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016.
  55. ^ "Smith asked to explain expenses". BBC News. 18 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  56. ^ "Smith faces expenses probe call". BBC News. 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009.
  57. ^ "Biography". Jacqui Smith MP. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008.
  58. ^ "Smith defends use of allowances". BBC News. 7 April 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  59. ^ "Smith 'sorry' for expenses claim". BBC News. 29 March 2009. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  60. ^ "Scrap second home allowance – PM". BBC News. 30 March 2009. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  61. ^ "Brown backs Smith in expenses row". BBC News. 30 March 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  62. ^ Syal, Rajeev; Helm, Toby; Hinsliff, Gaby (10 May 2009). "Taxmen to probe MPs over profits from home sales". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  63. ^ Watt, Holly (18 October 2012). "MPs' expenses scandal: Independent regulator blocks expenses publication". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  64. ^ Reeves, Rachel, 1979- (7 March 2019). Women of Westminster : the MPs who changed politics. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-78831-677-4. OCLC 1084655208.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  65. ^ Woodcock, Andrew (12 October 2009). "Smith ordered to apologise". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  66. ^ "Smith 'frozen rather than angry' about porn expenses". BBC News. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  67. ^ "Home Secretary Smith to step down". BBC News. 2 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  68. ^ "Smith regrets lack of training". BBC News. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  69. ^ Pierce, Andrew (3 June 2009). "MPs' expenses: Jacqui Smith - her rise and fall". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  70. ^ "Former home secretary Jacqui Smith loses seat to Tories". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  71. ^ Britten, Nick (7 May 2010). "General Election 2010: Jacqui Smith defeated in Redditch". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  72. ^ "The handover: An open letter from Jacqui Smith to Theresa May". The Independent. 14 May 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  73. ^ Eden, Richard (31 October 2010). "Jacqui Smith wins lucrative jobs with Labour's friends". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  74. ^ Brady, Brian (1 August 2010). "Smith applies for £77,000 a year part-time BBC post". The Independent on Sunday. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  75. ^ "Jacqui Smith to investigate porn trade for the BBC". BBC News. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  76. ^ Rojas, John Paul Ford (24 August 2011). "Prison inmates paint Jacqui Smith's home". The Telegraph.
  77. ^ "Jacqui Smith: no big deal that I used prisoners to paint my home". Belfast Telegraph. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  78. ^ "Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has joined the LBC line-up". LBC. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012.
  79. ^ Walker, Jonathan (12 September 2013). "Former MP Jacqui Smith gets top job at QE Hospital". BusinessLive. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  80. ^ "Board of Directors". University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  81. ^ a b c d Saner, Emine (21 October 2020). "'This is a chance to smile again': Strictly's Jacqui Smith on scandal, divorce and life outside politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  82. ^ "For The Many: Download LBC's Brand New Podcast Now". LBC. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  83. ^ "Sandwell Children's Trust - Who we Are". Sandwell Children's Trust. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  84. ^ "Rt Hon Jacqui Smith is our twelfth and final celebrity for Strictly 2020!". BBC Blogs - Strictly Come Dancing. 4 September 2020.
  85. ^ Thorp, Dave (1 November 2020). "Jacqui Smith Eliminated From Strictly Come Dancing 2020". The Strictly Spoiler. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  86. ^ "Joint chair hired for two trusts with £2bn+ turnover". Health Service Journal. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  87. ^ "Minister of State (Minister for Skills) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  88. ^ "No. 64467". The London Gazette. 23 July 2024. p. 14206.
  89. ^ "Introduction: Baroness Smith of Malvern". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 839. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Lords. 18 July 2024. col. 27.
  90. ^ Baroness Smith of Malvern, The Minister of State, Department for Education (19 July 2024). "King's Speech". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 839. United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 133–137.
  91. ^ McSmith, Andy (7 June 2008). "Jacqui Smith: Mrs Sensible". The Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  92. ^ Stratton, Allegra (30 May 2009). "One home secretary, two blue movies, and red faces all round". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  93. ^ "100 Women: Who took part?". BBC News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2022.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Dale, Iain (2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1785902451.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Redditch

1997–2010
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment
1999–2001
Succeeded byas Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Preceded by Minister of State for Health Services
2001–2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Industry and the Regions
2003–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Minister for Women
2003–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded byas Minister of State for Schools Minister of State for Schools and Learners
2005–2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Whip of the House of Commons
2006–2007
Succeeded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
2006–2007
Preceded by Home Secretary
2007–2009
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Labour Chief Whip of the House of Commons
2006–2007
Succeeded by