CHLOE SMITH
Chloe explains why she
chose the Conservative
party. “The over-riding thing
I believe is that people do best
when they have the freedom to
make their own choices. We have
always been a party that very
firmly respects the right of people
to go about their own affairs,
economically and socially.” As
Chloe is undoubtedly liberal-
minded she doesn’t fit neatly
with the widespread view of
Conservative politicians as
out-of-touch and elitist.
A�FRESH�PERSPECTIVE�
Chloe nods. “Let me say first of
all that I don’t think Section 28
[a clause introduced in the Eighties
while Conservative Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher was in power
that prevented schools from
‘promoting’ homosexuality, which had
the affect of limiting discussion of gay
rights and lifestyles] was our finest
hour. I think in the future we will be
more respectful of the many, many
different ways in which people live
their lives. I feel that very strongly.
I think the past is the past.”
Much in the news at the moment
is the Conservative plan for a marriage
tax break: isn’t that another attempt to
promote a ‘traditional’ lifestyle? “I think
that’s reading too much into it,” says
Chloe. “The whole point about that
policy is to look for stability for kids.”
She has to leave it there, because
she has to run to the House of
Commons for Prime Minister’s
Questions, a weekly half-hour session
of rowdy barracking and cat-calling.
Stylist watches on a small portable
TV in Chloe’s office as Gordon Brown
answers questions on the national
debt, grit supplies for frozen roads,
Iraq and population increase,
interspersed with a bit of sparring and
the exchange of lame jokes with David
Cameron, and wonders how Chloe has
the patience for it. She’s so evidently
sincere in her desire to do a good job
for her constituents we can’t imagine
her having any time for cheap
point-scoring, nor any inclination
to join the covert world of spin and
back-stabbing that seems to make up
so much of modern politics.
Chloe tells us that she actually
enjoys Prime Minister’s Questions.
“We can all laugh and shout and jeer at
each other, and it injects some energy,
and that has its place.” But, she adds,
you shouldn’t think that’s all there is
to being in politics. “The skills and
experience and very sharp intelligence
I see in some of my older colleagues
who have built that up over the years
is incredibly impressive.”
����WWW�STYLIST�CO�UK
CHLOE SAYS HER MOST
IMPORTANT JOB IS BEING
A GOOD “CONSTITUENCY MP”
It’s clear that she relishes every
aspect of her new job, and not because
of the attention she gets from being
a young, female Conservative. You
get the impression she would much
rather be telling you about Norwich
than dwelling for any length on her
precocious achievements.
“I think it’s been incredibly
interesting having a viewpoint like
that [being young and female] to
consider. I do think more young people
should be involved in politics and if
I can contribute a little bit more to
that by being a role model, that’s
great. However, the job of an MP
is to represent all your constituents
so I couldn’t possibly justify swanning
around here talking only about young
people – that’s not what the job is.”
And while she must be ambitious
there’s no sense that she’s already
plotting her route to the Cabinet or
the leader’s office: “Seriously, it’s first
things first. It’s all about being a very
good constituency MP at the moment.”
QUESTION�TIME�WITH�CHLOE�SMITH�
We quizzed Chloe on the issues that matter today
IRAQ
I am one of the switchers.
At the time I thought it
could have been a just
war. I was very strong on
the humanitarian reasons
but the planning and
its aftermath simply
wasn’t good enough.
CHLOE TAKING HER SEAT
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
IN OCTOBER 2009
AFGHANISTAN
There would be a huge risk
coming out now because
you’d send such a huge
signal around the world that our word wasn’t to be trusted.
I think our role as the UK is to do our very best to finish that job,
to make Afghanistan more secure and leave it a better place.
EXPENSES AND POLITICAL SCANDAL
Norwich North’s new MP had to be squeaky clean and I’m doing
my best to be that. My expenses are all published on my website
[chloesmith.org.uk] along with a pledge to run clean politics.
You’re not going to get any dirty smear tactic campaigns out of me.
THE ELECTION
There has been absolute failure over the last 12 years and that’s
now come through in having an economy that’s broken down
into pieces and broken politics and also a broken and difficult
society for many people.
A�CHALLENGING�JOB�
In fact, anyone who became an MP
through a lust for glamour and glory
would be sorely disappointed. The
sheer weight of work involved is
immense. Surely she must feel like her
life these days is a million miles away
from those of her friends?
She says that she has begun
socialising with colleagues in the
Houses of Parliament bars – “A lot of
MPs are working away from home
when they’re here in Westminster,
naturally we often want a bit of time
to relax” – but values time with old
friends most of all. “Your social life just
becomes a bit different. The thing
“We can all laugh and
shout and jeer at each other and
it injects some energy”
CHLOE BELIEVES
OUR TROUPS SHOULD
REMAIN IN AFGHANISTAN
I appreciate now is having the chance
to relax with friends after a busy day.
It’s so important to have people you
can just totally be yourself with.”
It’s easy to see why she would value
that so highly. Even while talking to me
she will occasionally interrupt herself:
“No, that’s a silly thing to say.” She
knows that any gaffe could become
news, especially in the current political
climate. But it must be tiring having
to monitor yourself? “I can’t walk
down the street in Norwich and do
something stupid!” she says. “And
if I have to buy something really
embarrassing in the supermarket
I might send someone else in to do it.”
In the brief lull before her afternoon
meetings start we head out onto
Westminster Bridge for the Stylist
photo shoot. On the way we chat
about her outfit – a chic purple skirt
suit and oversize beads. “In some
ways I’ve had to soften up how
I dress since I got here,” she says.
“I [need to] look approachable, not too
business-like. But I still want to look
professional because…” Because you
don’t want to look like the work
experience girl? She laughs. “Exactly!”
After the photos are taken, as Chloe
says goodbye, Stylist realises there’s
one question we forgot to ask. We
meant to ask if she thought she’d ever
have any regrets, decide that she’d
wasted her 20s on politics when she
could have left all that until later. But
as we watch her disappear into the
shadowy arches of the Palace of
Westminster, we realise that there
was no need. Chloe Smith MP is
exactly where she wants to be.
PHOTOGRAPHY��PA�PHOTOS��REX�FEATURES
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