Jacqui was born near Glasgow in 1947, and educated at Paisley Grammar School and the University of Strathclyde (BA Business Management).
She is married to Peter Jones who has now retired from the City and is leader of East Sussex County Council.
Jacqui Lait's Experience
Jacqui was elected Member of Parliament for Beckenham in November 1997. She was previously the MP for Hastings and Rye, which she represented since 1992.
In 1974 she joined the Government Information Service in the Scottish Office, the Privy Council office, and the Department of Employment, leaving in 1980 to join the Chemical Industries Association as their Parliamentary Adviser.
In 1984, Jacqui fought the European elections in Strathclyde West and in 1985 she fought the Newcastle/Tynebridge by-election and was selected to fight Hastings and Rye in April 1991.
She ran her own Parliamentary Consultancy from 1984-1992 and was also Chairman of City and East London Family Health Services Authority from its inception until November 1991.
In July 1996 she was appointed the first female member of the Conservative Whip’s Office. Prior to that she had been Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon William Hague MP at the Welsh Office and the Department of Social Security. She was first appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sir Nicholas Scott.
Jacqui has been a member of the Health Select Committee and of the European Standing Committee, and has served on a number of Bill committees. She was secretary of the Positive European Group and joint secretary of the South Africa Group.
In January 2000 she became a Front Bench Spokesman responsible for pensions. In September 2001, she was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. In November 2003, she became a Shadow Minister for Home, Constitutional & Legal Affairs, with responsibility for charities and the voluntary sector. From May 2005 - January 2009, she served as Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government.