Chloe Smith
| Chloe Smith MP |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 4 September 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Mark Harper |
| Economic Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 14 October 2011 – 4 September 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Justine Greening |
| Succeeded by | Sajid Javid |
| Member of Parliament for Norwich North |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 23 July 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Ian Gibson |
| Majority | 3,901 (9.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 May 1982 [1] Ashford, Kent, England[2] |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of York |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | None (atheist) |
| Website | www.chloesmith.org.uk |
Chloe Rebecca Smith (born 17 May 1982) is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Norwich North. She was elected to the seat in a by-election on 23 July 2009 following the resignation of Labour MP Ian Gibson after the MPs' expenses scandal.[3]
Contents |
Early life [edit]
Born in Ashford, Kent, she was aged three when her family moved to Norfolk.[4] Growing up in Stoke Ferry,[5] Smith attended comprehensive schools in Swaffham and Methwold, and after a gap-year working for former Conservative Education Secretary Gillian Shephard,[4] read English Literature at the University of York.[5] She undertook summer work for Bernard Jenkin.[4]
After graduating from York University she joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,[4] where as a management consultant she advised private businesses, government departments and public bodies.
Political career [edit]
In 2007 Smith was chosen to be the Conservative candidate for the constituency of Norwich North in the General Election.[5] She then took leave from her job, working for Conservative Central Office on secondment, to "draw up detailed plans to put our policies into practice".[4]
Following Ian Gibson's resignation, Smith became the Conservatives' by-election candidate and subsequently won the seat, becoming the youngest member of the House of Commons.[6] She took her seat in the House of Commons when the parliamentary break ended in October.[7][8] On 14 October 2011, she was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury in a ministerial reshuffle, becoming the youngest minister currently serving in Her Majesty's Government.[9] According to The Guardian, Smith was appointed to the role because David Cameron wrongly believed she was a trained accountant.[10]
On 26 June 2012 she appeared on the BBC Two current affairs programme Newsnight and was interviewed about Chancellor George Osborne's decision that day to delay plans to increase fuel duty.[11] Interviewer Jeremy Paxman questioned the apparent change in her views on fuel duty.[12] Senior politicians, including John Prescott and Nadine Dorries questioned Osborne's judgement for sending a junior minister onto the programme in place of himself.[11][13]
Political positions [edit]
Smith's political stances include support for lower taxation and opposition to the Lisbon Treaty.[14] She also supports the legalisation of gay marriage.[15]
She singles out Benjamin Disraeli as a political leader she admires.[14]
Personal life [edit]
Smith is an active volunteer and fundraiser for several charities including Cancer Research UK and Sport Relief.[5] She is a keen cyclist and badminton player. She also enjoys life drawing and has posed as a model at classes.[16] She is an atheist.[17][8][18]
References [edit]
- ^ "The youngest members of the potential next intake of Conservative MPs". Conservativehome. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ McSmith, Andy (2009-07-23). "Today Norwich, tomorrow the world for rising star of Tories". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ "Tories beat Labour in by-election". BBC News. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Profile: Chloe Smith". BBC News. 2009-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ a b c d Website Biography[dead link]
- ^ "Labour braced for key poll defeat". BBC News. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ Stephenson, Alex (24 July 2009). "Profile:Chloe Smith". politics.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ a b Fisher, Chris (13 October 2009). "New Norwich North MP sworn in". Eastern Daily Press.
- ^ "Chloe Smith appointed new economic secretary". Reuters. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Chloe Smith's Newsnight humiliation is No 10's fault, say senior Tories". The Guardian. June 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Quinn, Ben (27 June 2012). "George Osborne branded a coward after Tory minister's Newsnight disaster". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ "BBC Newsnight Interview". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- ^ "David Cameron denies George Osborne 'hid' after fuel U-turn". BBC News (BBC). 27 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ a b Meet Chloe Smith, UK's youngest MP - Norfolk News - EDP24
- ^ Jessica Green (6 October 2011). "Tory MP Chloe Smith supports gay marriage". Pink News.
- ^ "From ice maiden to no-clothes Chloe: How Cabinet's young star Smith revealed all for art". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26/11/12.
- ^ Chapman, Tom (15 July 2009). "Norwich election candidates tackle the issues". The Norwich And Norfolk Christian Community Website. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ "Newest Tory MP - Young, gifted and atheist". London Evening Standard (ES London Limited / archive.org). 13 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-10-16. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Chloe Smith MP Conservative Party
- They Work For You
- Flickr page
- Gould, Mark (24 July 2009). "Norwich North byelection: who is Chloe Smith?". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ian Gibson |
Member of Parliament for Norwich North 2009 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Jo Swinson |
Baby of the House 2009–2010 |
Succeeded by Pamela Nash |
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