Jacqui Smith is 44 and entered Parliament as MP for Redditch, Inkberrow, Feckenham and Cookhill in 1997. A graduate of Hertford College, Oxford, Jacqui took up teaching in 1986 at Arrow Vale High School in Redditch. She taught Business Studies and Economics rising to become Head of Economics at Haybridge High School in Hagley before the General Election in 1997.

Since becoming an MP Jacqui has served on the Treasury Select
Committee and was promoted to government in 1999. As one of the
youngest ministers, she served for two years as Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State at the Department for Education. After successfully defending her seat in 2001 she was again promoted to become Minister of State for Health with responsibility for Social Services and since then she has been promoted again to be Minister of State at the Department for Trade and Industry and Deputy Minister for Women.

After the 2005 General Election she became Minister of State for
Schools. In May this year the Prime Minister asked Jacqui to join the
Cabinet as Chief Whip. When Prime Minister Tony Blair stepped down and Gordon Brown became the new Prime Minister, Jacqui was named in his cabinet as Home Secretary. Jacqui is the first woman in British History to fill this post.