The Rt Hon the Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister for Skills, Department for Education
In July 2024, Jacqui was invited to join the new government as the Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Education and was introduced to the House of Lords. In March 2025, Jacqui was also appointed Minister for Women and Equalities, taking on lead responsibility for gender equality, women’s rights, and the UK equality framework. Following a machinery of government change announced in September 2025, Jacqui’s role as Minister for Skills now spans both the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions. This dual departmental structure reflects a strategic effort to align skills policy more closely with labour market and employment reform, placing further education and training providers at the heart of the government’s growth mission. This is Jacqui’s second spell in government, having previously served as a Minister from 1999 to 2009, including as the UK’s first female Home Secretary.