Last week my friend Laura Street and I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with the first female Home Secretary of the UK, Jacqui Smith. It was such an honour simply to be able to speak with her, and we left the Home Office feeling not only inspired, but ready to start our own personal "Jacqui Smith for Prime Minister!" campaign. Smith passionately described the changes she's made in her Redditch constituency, and also spoke candidly to us about being a woman in politics, Hillary Clinton, and her personal take on being the UK's first female Home Secretary...
Dollymix: How and when did you first get into politics?
Jacqui Smith: I think I'm a bit notorious for having always been interested in speaking up for both for people and things that I thought were wrong. For example when I was seven I organized a petition, and I if you talk to my teachers now they'll say, "Well, we always knew that she was going to be an MP!"
DM: What was the petition for?
JS: Somebody came from the council when we were seven and told us that we weren't allowed to ride our bikes on the pavement and I thought this was outrageous! So I organized a petition, and they came back from the council and said, "Actually, that wasn't what we meant." (Laughs)
I was always interested in politics, as my mum was a councilor, and as a teenager I would go to council meetings. How sad is that? (Laughs) But, I was really interested in it, and then I got involved and delivered leaflets, and at University I was involved in student politics, and then I actually got to work in Parliament for a year after I left University. Then I realized I actually wanted to go somewhere and do a proper job, but even whilst I was a teacher, I was obviously focused on teaching, but I did other things like I was the Union Rep, and then moved on to being a local councilor. And then I was lucky enough in 1997 to be elected into Parliament - having stood in 1992 and lost.
DM: That must have been really difficult to have to in and stand again!
JS: If you are in public elected life and you can't cope with losing, you won't last very long.
DM: A lot of female politicians tend to sidestep the question of, "do you think things have been harder for you because you are a woman?" Do you think that your fellow politicians treat you differently, or do you think that it's mainly the media that picks on you a bit more because you're a woman.
JS: I'll tell you why I think people side step it: genuinely if you were to say to me, "Have I not been able to do the things that I've wanted to do because I'm a woman?" I couldn't say that that was the case. But do I think that there are certain challenges that women face in politics that men don't face. Yes, I do think that. I think that it is, in general terms, evidently, more difficult for women to be involved in more senior elected positions. I don't think that there are four good men for every one women in terms of being an MP, but that's what Parliament looks like. It is evident that there are issues, and therefore I both always tried to act and have supported initiatives that would help women to get involved in politics.
DM: Feminist bloggers and journalists tend to get really upset when media outlets like The Daily Mail can only manage to talk about female politician's cleavage, or Hillary Clinton crying on the campaign trail. Does this affect you at all, or are you so busy doing your job that you don't even notice.
JS: Well, they talked about my cleavage as well. (Laughs)
Hmm, does it stop me from doing anything? No. It doesn't. Does it make me frustrated that that's what people are concentrating on? Yes, it does. Am I completely bemused that my hair dresser told me that a reporter had been to ask why my highlights had been blonder than before? Absolutely. It only stops me from doing my job to the extent of that I'm thinking what is that about? Why would people bother to do that? It's just a sort of irritated frustration.
DM: I suppose it really just sort of feels like they're undermining what you're doing if they're discussing your highlights rather than your politics.
JS: It does. There are plenty of things that people can criticise me for or praise me for even if they like, but there are other serious things to look at. I don't think, incidentally, that it's not important that I'm a woman; I think it is important that I'm a woman, and that I'm a visible woman because I want people to look at, in this case, the government and say, "That is a government that looks like what my community looks like." There are people there who, perhaps, even though they're government ministers, they have some idea about the experiences that [the British people] are going through. Actually, I think we make better decisions and we are more representative when we are a team made up of both men and women, than if we're not. It's not insignificant to me that I'm a woman; it's important, and it's important to me that other women get involved as well.
DM: If Hillary Clinton is elected as the first female President of the United States, how do you think the world will change?
JS: I think that will be, very importantly, another significant women role model for people coming into politics. I think it will say something good, incidentally, about the US and their willingness to have a woman leader. I, of course, as a government minister would work with whoever was elected by the American people. But I have previously said, as I am the first woman Home Secretary, I would be...pleased, to see the first woman President.
DM: It's an amazing achievement to be the first female Home Secretary, but do you look at it like that?
JS: No, I don't get up in the morning and go, "Oh, yes! I'm the first woman Home Secretary!" But what I am amazed about, is that I am the first woman Home Secretary. Because, if you think about the job, you know, it's about protecting this country, protecting our communities, keeping it safe, and all those other issues about security, without stereotyping, actually...why is that not a woman's job? It is a woman's job.
DM: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
JS: My alarm clock! (Laughs)
DM: But what is it about being Home Secretary that makes you so passionate and excited about your job?
JS: Can you not imagine, as a public elected politician, a greater responsibility or honour ,in fact, than being given that task of actually protecting their country and protecting people's communities? That is a reallyuse peopl great honour, and actually any elected position is a great honour and responsibility becae have put their trust in you to make a difference and to do something. That is very motivating, I do have to say, and I feel every morning that I get up and go to work that I'm not just getting up for myself, but I'm getting up for the people, well, firstly the people of Redditch that elected me as their MP, and secondly the people that, through the Prime Minister, the people who have put their trust in the country, who have put me in the position to do my job. But also, it's just very, very interesting. To be able to do things and make a difference and change things - that's why I would encourage women to get involved in politics because you can make changes and do things that are practical, as well.
DM: Now, you're a very busy woman. You're busy travelling all over the country, making television appearances and doing interviews like this...but do you even just have time to put on your jammies, have a glass of wine and watch Pride & Prejudice?
JS: Yes. (Laughs) That is my idea of a relaxing time. And well...yes, Pride & Prejudice is a good choice. Also, of course, so is spending time with my kids.
For more information on Jacqui Smith and her work as the Home Secretary and the MP of Redditch, please visit her official website at JacquiSmithMP.co.uk.
Great interview! I like the fact that she doesn't side-step the 'being a woman' questions
Love her! Can she be Prime Minister now?