The Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith entered Parliament as MP for Redditch, Inkberrow, Feckenham and Cookhill in 1997. Since becoming an MP, she has served on the Treasury Select Committee and was promoted to government in 1999. As one of the youngest ministers, she served for two years as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education. After successfully defending her seat in 2001, she was again promoted to become Minister of State for Health with responsibility for Social Services and since then she has been promoted again to be Minister of State at the Department for Trade and Industry and Deputy Minister for Women. After the 2005 General Election, she became Minister of State for Schools. In May 2007 the Prime Minister asked her to join the Cabinet as Chief Whip. When Prime Minister Tony Blair stepped down and Gordon Brown came into office as Prime Minister, he appointed her Secretary of State for the Home Department.