Dougie Smith

Last updated

Dougie Smith
BornMay 1962 (age 61)
Scotland
OccupationPolitical advisor
Spouse
​
(m. 2008)​
Children1

Douglas Smith (born May 1962) is a British political advisor who has worked as a senior Conservative Party aide for British prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, although according to The Daily Telegraph his precise role is uncertain. [1] He was formerly a political advisor to Sir James Mancham, former President of Seychelles, and Sir James Goldsmith.

Contents

Early life and education

Smith was born in May 1962 in Scotland. [1] His father, Malcolm Smith, ran a business making life jackets and other nautical equipment. [1]

He studied at the University of Strathclyde but dropped out before completing his degree. [1] While at university in 1985, Smith was elected vice-chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students (FCS); however, his election was declared null and void as he had incorrectly claimed to be a student at Napier Technical College. [1] He was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill fellow FCS member Toby Baxendale. [1] Smith was a leading member of FCS's libertarian faction, however the FCS was disbanded in 1986 by then party chairman Norman Tebbit who, according to The Daily Telegraph, "decided it was too Right-wing even for him". [1]

Career

Smith previously worked at the think tank the Adam Smith Institute, and later the Committee for a Free Britain and Sir James Goldsmith's Referendum Party. [1] He was formerly a political advisor to former President of Seychelles Sir James Mancham. [2] He served as an advisor to numerous senior right-wing figures including Sir James Goldsmith, and wrote speeches for a number of Conservative Members of Parliament. [2] Smith was the co-ordinator of Conservatives for Change (Cchange), a Tory think tank founded in 2002. [2] He is a Eurosceptic. [1]

For at least five years from 1998, he ran Fever Parties, an organisation which hosted "five-star" swinger parties. [2] When this knowledge became public, he asserted that his private and political activities did not overlap (and likened his clients to the "SAS of sex"). [3]

A senior Conservative Party aide, he worked as a speechwriter for David Cameron and a Tory party headquarter's activist under Theresa May, before later working for Boris Johnson in an unknown role. [4]

In 2019, Nigel Farage, then the Leader of the Brexit Party, alleged that Smith was involved in intimidation and offering bribes in exchange for political candidates stepping down. [5]

According to former cabinet member Nadine Dorries, in her 2023 book The Plot, Smith is a member of a small and influential group of men seeking to control the activities of the Conservative Party from within. [6]

Personal life

Smith married Munira Mirza, a political advisor and long-time ally of Boris Johnson, in 2008. [1] They have a son, Robbie, born in 2013. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rayner, Gordon (18 September 2021). "Meet the most powerful couple in Downing Street... you've never heard of" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Elliot, John (22 June 2003). "Top Tory aide is king of urban swingers" . The Sunday Times . Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Courea, Eleni (3 February 2024). "Dougie Smith: a mysterious backroom Tory fixer feared by MPs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.
  4. ↑ d'Ancona, Matthew (1 June 2021). "The second couple". Tortoise Media . Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Dale, Iain (5 December 2019). "Nigel Farage opens up about alleged Tory party bribes". LBC . Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Whannel, Kate (9 November 2023). "Nadine Dorries book and Dr No: The Plot thickens". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
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