Dougie Smith

British political advisor (born 1962)

Munira Mirza
​
(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.

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ a b c d 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.