Baroness Jacqui Smith, the former Home Secretary and current government minister in the Department of Education, is engaged to Professor Graham Timmins. The couple, who have been together for six years, are set to marry in August. Smith, 57, was seen flashing her engagement ring at the House of Lords on Monday.
The news was revealed by broadcaster Iain Dale on the Where Politics Meets History podcast. Dale, a friend of Smith, said the couple are "absolutely smitten" and described Timmins as a "lovely, lovely guy". Smith affectionately refers to her fiancé as "Page Three Boy".
Smith, who was Britain’s first female Home Secretary, split from her husband of 33 years, Richard Timney, in 2020. She later began a relationship with Timmins, a professor. Speaking in 2020, she dismissed any concerns about the "Strictly curse" affecting her new romance, saying her dance partner Anton du Beke was happily married and she was in a "newish, but lovely, relationship".
Smith was partnered with Anton du Beke on the 18th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2020. The pair were eliminated first after losing the dance-off to Jamie Laing. Smith described her time on the show as "the greatest adventure it’s possible to imagine" and praised du Beke as "absolutely fantastic and gorgeous to work with".
Smith served as Home Secretary from 2007 to 2010 under Gordon Brown. She resigned after apologising for wrongly claiming £116,000 in second home allowances. Her ex-husband Richard Timney was also involved in the expenses scandal after claiming for pay-per-view adult movies.
