Junior ministerial offices 1999‍–‍2006

Minister of State for Schools and Learners
In office 6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Stephen Twigg
Succeeded by	Jim Knight
Minister of State for Industry and the Regions
In office 13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Brian Wilson
Succeeded by	Alun Michael
Deputy Minister for Women
In office 13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Barbara Roche
Succeeded by	Meg Munn
Minister of State for Health Services
In office 11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Denham
Succeeded by	Rosie Winterton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment
In office 29 July 1999 – 10 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Charles Clarke
Succeeded by	John Healey

Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

Incumbent

Assumed office
18 July 2024
Life Peerage

Member of Parliament
for Redditch

In office
1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010

Preceded by

Constituency established

Succeeded by

Karen Lumley

Personal details

Born

Jacqueline Jill Smith

3 November 1962 (age 62)
Malvern, Worcestershire, England

Political party

Labour

Spouses

Richard Timney

(m. 1987; separated 2019)

Children

Alma mater

Hertford College, Oxford (BA)
Worcester College of Higher Education (PGCE)

Jacqueline Jill Smith, Baroness Smith of Malvern, also known as Jacqui Smith, is a British politician and broadcaster. She was born on 3 November 1962. Since 2024, she has been the Minister of State for Skills and a spokesperson for equalities.

Jacqui Smith is a member of the Labour Party. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Redditch from 1997 to 2010. She also served as Home Secretary from 2007 to 2009. She was the first woman to hold this important position.

Smith grew up in Malvern, Worcestershire. She studied at Hertford College, Oxford. Later, she trained to be a teacher and taught economics and business. She was elected as an MP in 1997. She became a minister in 1999 under Prime Minister Tony Blair. In 2006, she became the Chief Whip, a key role in Parliament.

In 2007, she became Home Secretary. She resigned in 2009 after some issues with her expenses claims. She then lost her seat as an MP in the 2010 election. After leaving Parliament, she continued to be involved in public life. She worked as a political commentator and took on roles in health and media. In 2024, she returned to government as a member of the House of Lords.

Early Life and Education
Political Career
After Politics (2010–2024)
Return to Politics in the House of Lords
Personal Life
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Jacqui Smith was born in Malvern, Worcestershire. She went to Dyson Perrins High School in Malvern. Her parents were both teachers and local Labour councillors.

She studied philosophy, politics and economics at Hertford College, Oxford. After university, she worked for a Labour MP.

Smith decided to become a teacher. She earned a teaching qualification from Worcester College of Higher Education. She taught economics at Arrow Vale High School in Redditch from 1986 to 1988. She also taught at Worcester Sixth Form College. Later, she became head of economics at Haybridge High School. During this time, she was active in the local Labour Party.

Smith also served on Redditch Borough Council from 1991 to 1996. She tried to become an MP in 1992 but was not successful.

Political Career

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Smith was chosen as the Labour candidate for Redditch. This was a new area created after a review of boundaries. She won the seat in the 1997 general election. Many women were elected as MPs in this election, setting a new record.

Jacqui Smith official portrait (cropped)

Jacqui Smith in 2024.

In July 1999, Smith joined the government. She became a junior minister at the Department for Education and Employment. After the 2001 election, she moved to the Department of Health. In 2003, she became a deputy Minister for Women. In this role, she helped introduce civil partnerships. These gave legal recognition to same-sex relationships.

Minister for Schools

After the 2005 general election, Smith became the Minister of State for Schools. This role was part of the Department for Education and Skills. Teachers' unions said she was good at talking to them.

Chief Whip

In 2006, Smith was appointed the government's Chief Whip. The Chief Whip makes sure that MPs vote the way their party wants. It's a very important job for keeping the party united. She was good at helping different groups within the Labour Party work together.

Smith was very loyal to Prime Minister Tony Blair. She was sad when he left his role.

Home Secretary

On 28 June 2007, Jacqui Smith became the Home Secretary. This is one of the most important jobs in the government. She was the first woman ever to hold this position. Just after she started, there were serious security incidents in London and Glasgow.

In 2008, she announced new powers for the police. This included a plan to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days without charging them. She also said she didn't feel safe on London streets at night. Critics said this showed the government wasn't doing enough about crime.

Smith introduced a system to map crime in local areas. This helped people see crime information and how to fight it. During her time, minor crime continued to fall. She managed to pass the 42-day detention law in the House of Commons. However, the House of Lords voted strongly against it. They felt it went too far and affected people's rights.

In March 2009, she published the first public plan to fight terrorism.

National Identity Cards

In May 2009, Smith announced plans for National Identity Cards. These cards would first be required for foreign students and airport staff. The cost of the project was estimated to be £5.3 billion. Smith said the cards would be easier to get from high-street shops. She believed most people supported the idea.

She also discussed rules about storing DNA and fingerprints. The European Court of Human Rights ruled against keeping data for people with no criminal record. Smith suggested a compromise to keep the data for a shorter time, up to 12 years.

Exclusion List

On 5 May 2009, Smith announced a list of 16 people who were banned from entering the UK. These individuals were seen as a threat to public order. Smith said that people who do not follow UK rules and values should not be allowed into the country.

Leaving Parliament

In the general election on 6 May 2010, Jacqui Smith lost her seat. She was no longer the MP for Redditch. Karen Lumley of the Conservative Party won the seat. Smith said she was "immensely honoured" to have served Redditch.

After Politics (2010–2024)

After leaving Parliament, Jacqui Smith stayed in the public eye. She often appeared on TV shows like This Week and Question Time. She also commented on news for Sky News.

She co-hosted a radio show on LBC with former Conservative minister David Mellor. In 2013, she became chair of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. She temporarily stepped down from this role in 2020 to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.

Smith supported the UK staying in the European Union in the 2016 EU referendum. She continued to argue for a second vote on the issue.

Since 2017, Smith has co-hosted a weekly political podcast called "For The Many." She also appears on Good Morning Britain. She is the chair of the Jo Cox Foundation and the Sandwell Children's Trust.

In September 2020, she competed in Strictly Come Dancing. She was the first celebrity to be voted off the show. In 2021, she became chair of two other NHS trusts: Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Return to Politics in the House of Lords

After the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Smith as Minister of State for Skills. To hold this position, she was given a life peerage. This means she became a member of the House of Lords for life.

She was given the title Baroness Smith of Malvern on 17 July 2024. She was officially introduced to the House of Lords on 18 July 2024. She gave her first speech in the Lords on 19 July.

Personal Life

Jacqui Smith married Richard Timney in October 1987. They have two sons. In January 2020, they announced that they had separated.

Honours

2003: Appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gave her the special title "The Right Honourable" for life.
2013: She was named one of the BBC's 100 women.

Images for kids

Jacqui Smith in 2024.

Jacqui Smith facts for kids

Contents