Chloe Smith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 April 2023 – 20 July 2023[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michelle Donelan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michelle Donelan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Thérèse Coffey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mel Stride | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forNorwich North | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 23 July 2009 – 30 May 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ian Gibson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alice Macdonald | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Chloe Rebecca Smith (1982-05-17)17 May 1982 (age 43) Ashford, Kent, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of York | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.chloesmith.org.uk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chloe Rebecca Smith (born 17 May 1982) is a BritishConservative Party politician who served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forNorwich North from 2009 to 2024. She previously served asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions from September to October 2022[1] andSecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology from April to July 2023.[c][2]
Smith was elected in a2009 by-election following the resignation of Labour MPIan Gibson due to theMPs' expenses scandal. Smith held a number of junior ministerial roles underDavid Cameron andTheresa May, serving two terms asParliamentary Secretary for the Constitution. She continued to serve in the latter role afterBoris Johnson's victory in the2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
In theFebruary 2020 reshuffle, Smith was promoted toMinister of State during thesecond Johnson ministry. In the2021 reshuffle, she was appointed by Johnson as Minister of State at theDepartment for Work and Pensions. After Johnson resigned in 2022, Smith supportedLiz Truss’s bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as Prime Minister, she appointed Smith asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions. She was later temporarilySecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology during the timeMichelle Donelan MP wasMinister on Leave (Secretary of State), a position given to Secretaries of State and Ministers of State while on maternity leave.[3]
Chloe Smith was born inAshford, Kent, in 1982.[4][5] Her family moved toStoke Ferry, Norfolk, when she was three years old, and she attendedcomprehensive schools inSwaffham andMethwold.[6][7] After a gap year working for former Conservative Education SecretaryGillian Shephard,[6] she read English Literature at theUniversity of York.[7] She undertook summer work forBernard Jenkin.[6]
After graduating from the University of York, Smith joinedDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu as amanagement consultant. She advised private businesses, government departments and public bodies.[6]
In 2007, Smith was chosen to be the Conservative Party candidate for the constituency ofNorwich North at thegeneral election.[7] She then took leave from her job, working forConservative Central Office on secondment, to "draw up detailed plans to put our policies into practice".[6]
Following the resignation ofLabour MPIan Gibson as a result of theMPs' expenses scandal, Smith became the Conservatives' by-election candidate. At the2009 Norwich North by-election, Smith was elected, winning with 39.5% of the vote and a majority of 7,348.[8] Smith became the youngest member of the House of Commons.[9][10] She took her seat in theHouse of Commons when the parliamentary break ended in October.[11]
At the2010 general election, Smith was re-elected as MP for Norwich North with an increased vote share of 40.6% and a decreased majority of 3,901.[12]
On 14 October 2011, she was appointedEconomic Secretary to the Treasury in a ministerial reshuffle, becoming the youngest minister serving in government at that point.[13] According toThe Guardian newspaper Smith was appointed to the role because David Cameron wrongly understood her to be a trained accountant.[14]
On 26 June 2012, she appeared on theBBC Two current affairs programmeNewsnight and was interviewed about ChancellorGeorge Osborne's decision that day to delay plans to increasefuel duty.[15]Jeremy Paxman questioned the apparent change in her views on fuel duty.[16] The interview attracted much comment, being described as a "mauling" and a "humiliation" of Smith.[17][14] Politicians, includingJohn Prescott andNadine Dorries, questioned Osborne's judgement for sending a junior minister onto the programme in his place.[15][18]
In September 2012, Smith was appointedParliamentary Under-Secretary of State at theCabinet Office.
In August 2013, she was criticised for blocking identification of civil servants and public sector bodies responsible for £77m of flights booked through theGovernment Procurement Service.[19] In October 2013, she resigned from theCabinet Office to "concentrate on the most important part of my job: being the Member of Parliament for Norwich North".[20]
In May 2014, she was awarded theGrassroot Diplomat Initiative Award under the Business Driver category for designing and conceiving the Norwich for Jobs campaign, which brought over 400 jobs and apprenticeships for young people in her constituency.[21]
During the campaign for the2015 general election, Smith was mocked by political opponents for quoting a constituent's letter in her election literature.[22] The letter said she seemed "to act more like a Socialist than a Conservative".[23] Smith responded: "Clearly I am not a socialist. I am a proud Conservative. What the letter writer was saying was my work can appeal across party lines".[22]
At the2015 general election, Smith was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 43.7% and an increased majority of 4,463.[24]
At the snap2017 general election, Smith was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 47.7% and a decreased majority of 507.[25] Following the election, she was appointed asParliamentary Under Secretary of State forNorthern Ireland working underJames Brokenshire.[26]
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In January 2018, during the2018 British cabinet reshuffle byTheresa May, Smith was appointedParliamentary Secretary for the Constitution, a role she had previously held underDavid Cameron. In February 2020, Smith was promoted toMinister of State byBoris Johnson.[27]
In August 2019, Smith was the victim of ananthrax scare in which she was sent a package of white powder.[28]
At the2019 general election, Smith was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 50.5% and an increased majority of 4,738.[29]
In September 2021, during thecabinet reshuffle, Smith becameMinister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health at theDepartment for Work and Pensions.[27]
On 6 September 2022, the then-Prime MinisterLiz Truss appointed Smith asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions. She was sworn in as a member of thePrivy Council on 13 September 2022 atBuckingham Palace following her appointment.[30] entitling her to thehonorific prefix "The Right Honourable" for Life.
On 25 October 2022, following the appointment ofRishi Sunak as Prime Minister, Smith returned to the backbenches.
On 22 November 2022 Smith announced that she would not stand for election to Parliament at the2024 general election.[31]
From 28 April 2023 to 19 July 2023, Smith was the temporarySecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology duringMichelle Donelan's maternity leave in accordance with theMinisterial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021.
Smith's political stances have included support for lower taxation, increasing VAT,[32] and opposition to theLisbon Treaty.[33] She also supported the legalisation ofsame-sex marriage.[34] She singles outBenjamin Disraeli as a political leader she admires.[33]
Smith was opposed toBrexit before the2016 referendum.[35] She endorsedBoris Johnson during the2019 Conservative Party leadership election.[36]
Smith is an active volunteer and fundraiser for several charities includingCancer Research UK andSport Relief.[7] She is anatheist.[37][38]
In 2013, Smith married financial consultant Sandy McFadzean.[39] They had their first child, a son, in 2016.[40] In 2019, their second child, a daughter, was born.[41]
In November 2020, Smith announced that she had been diagnosed withbreast cancer.[42] In June 2021, she announced that afterchemotherapy and surgery, she was cancer-free.[43]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNorwich North 2009–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Baby of the House 2009–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Economic Secretary to the Treasury 2011–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 2017–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office 2012–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office 2018–2020 | Position abolished |
| Position established | Minister of State for the Constitution and Devolution 2020–2021 | Succeeded byasMinister of State without Portfolio |
| Preceded by | Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2022 | Succeeded by |
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| Minister for Science | | |
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| Secretary of State for Education and Science | ||
| Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills | ||
| Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology | ||
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