Honorary degree for Jacqui Smith

5 July 2018

Congratulations to Honorary Fellow Rt Hon Jacqui Smith (PPE 1981) who will receive an honorary Doctor of the University degree from the University of Birmingham this afternoon.

After a career in school teaching, Jacqui entered politics, winning her first parliamentary seat in 1997 as the Labour candidate for Redditch. She held a number of ministerial positions, including Minister of State at the Department of Health, deputy Minister for Women, Minister for Schools, and Government Chief Whip. In 2007 she was appointed Home Secretary, the first woman to hold this position and only the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State. After leaving politics in 2010, she has spent her time working as a consultant, radio presenter and commentator. In 2013 she became Chair of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and she also works on political development in Jordan. See here for more details of the award.