Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith

The Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith was the UK’s first female Home Secretary from 2007 - 2009. She was elected MP for Redditch in 1997 and became a Minister in 1999. She held the Education, Health, Industry, and Equality portfolios and was also the Chief Whip before becoming the Home Secretary.

She is currently Chair in Common of Barts Health and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust and the Sandwell Children’s Trust. She is also the Chair of the Jo Cox Foundation and is a Trustee of the King’s Fund.

Jacqui has worked in Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon specialising in parliamentary development and working directly with Ministers using her broad political and governmental experience.

She is in demand as a commentator, with a weekly slot on Good Morning Britain, and has a weekly podcast called For the Many.

"We all have an interest in government working as well as possible: it’s far too important to be left to busy current Ministers alone. The complexity and uncertainty of governing in the world today means that we need the most effective Whitehall machinery possible to support our political leaders. ​

I’m very pleased to be able to reflect on my experiences and work with others from a variety of perspectives to make some recommendations for reform."