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AIBU?

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Original poster

Jacqui Smith peerage

57 replies

Westfacing · 07/07/2024 16:31

AIBU to be perplexed by Smith being given a peerage and made a minister for education?

I understand that Labour have to increase their number of peers and am in full agreement with Vallance and Timpson but J Smith, why?

She was briefly Home Secretary under Gordon Brown but I don't recall her being associated with Education, nor was she particularly distinguished as a politician.

Am I missing something?

OP posts:
Original poster
Westfacing · 07/07/2024 16:54

BIossomtoes · 07/07/2024 16:45

She’s been Secretary of State for Education before. Teachers loved her.

She was never Secretary of State for Education!

OP posts:
BIossomtoes · 07/07/2024 16:45

She’s been Secretary of State for Education before. Teachers loved her.

Peoneve · 07/07/2024 16:44

She was a junior minister in the then DCSF now DfE a couple of times
She was OK

Original poster
Westfacing · 07/07/2024 16:40

AssortedLabels · 07/07/2024 16:35

It depends on how you define distinguished. She was Home Secretary, one of the four great offices of state, so was pretty senior. And a peerage just means they want her to be in the government and therefore need her in Parliament, it’s not a honour for outstanding achievement.

But why would they want her in particular to be in government - I don't recall her being active in education over the past years.

I'm genuinely curious - she's been off the radar for so long, well to me she has. Maybe she's been more active behind the scenes than I know.

OP posts:
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 07/07/2024 16:35

I hope she's going to go on some safeguarding training. This is from Wikipedia:

In October 2018 Chief Prosecutor in North West England, Nazir Afzal, alleged on BBC Radio 4 that the Home Office had issued a memo to all police forces in 2008, informing that the child victims of Pakistani grooming gangs had made an "informed choice" and "it's not for you police officers to get involved in". Smith ran the Home Office at the time of this alleged instruction.

Appalling.

Sexual grooming - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_grooming#Localised_grooming

AssortedLabels · 07/07/2024 16:35

It depends on how you define distinguished. She was Home Secretary, one of the four great offices of state, so was pretty senior. And a peerage just means they want her to be in the government and therefore need her in Parliament, it’s not a honour for outstanding achievement.

MichaelFabricantsSyrup · 07/07/2024 16:32

She was a teacher if that counts?