Politics

Jeremy Hunt wife: How Hunt launched Tory leadership bid with 'secret weapon' – his wife


Jeremy Hunt is one of the ten remaining candidates campaigning to replace Prime Minister Theresa May as the Conservative Party leader. He officially launched his campaign yesterday and received the backing of prominent Tory cabinet members Amber Rudd and Penny Mordaunt. He is now the second favourite to win the race behind Boris Johnson. But it might not be his skill and cunning that help him secure the position, instead the Tory leadership hopeful has put his “perfect partner” at the front and centre of his campaign in a bid to win favour, but how is she such an asset in her husband’s bid to move into Number 10?

Who is Jeremy Hunt?

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, 52, was elected as an MP for South West Surrey in 2005.

He has worked under the administrations of David Cameron and Theresa May, and was made the culture secretary in 2010, before moving to the health department in 2012.

Hunt worked for six years at the Department of Health prior to his move to the foreign office.

He campaigned for the Remain camp during the EU referendum vote but has since thrown his support to the Brexiteer MPs, even comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union.

Jeremy Hunt wife: Jeremy Hunt and wife Lucia

Jeremy Hunt wife: Jeremy Hunt and wife Lucia have been together for more than a decade (Image: JONATHAN BRADY/WPA POOL/NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFPGETTY)

In his personal life, Mr Hunt met his wife Lucia Guo in 2008 when she was working at Warwick University recruiting Chinese students for the university.

They were introduced through his education business Hotcourses, which the MP later sold for £14 million.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the proceeds of the £14 million sale of Hotcourses are kept in her name and she is listed as the director of the property portfolio company bought with those profits.

This personal fortune makes Mr Hunt the richest of Mrs May’s cabinet members and has led to some scrutiny of the couple.

In April last year a scandal arose after Lucia and Jeremy Hunt set up a company to buy seven luxury flats without registering the firm with Companies House within the allotted time.

The former Health Secretary was accused of ‘illegal activity’ by Labour for failing to disclose his stake in the firm to the authorities.

Jeremy Hunt wife: Jeremy Hunt and family

Jeremy Hunt wife: Jeremy Hunt and his family at Henry Allsopp and Naomi Gummer wedding (Image: INDIGO/GETTY)

Lucia, 41, comes from Xi’an in China, an ancient city in China where her parents still live.

She is now a British Citizen having moved to England to pursue her career.

She married Mr Hunt in July 2009 in Xian after Mr Hunt asked Lucia’s father for permission to wed his daughter and the couple married in a traditional Chinese ceremony.

The couple have a son and two daughters together, aged nine, seven and four, and Lucia is now believed to be a full-time politician’s wife and homemaker.

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt at Conservative Party Conference in 2018 (Image: JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY)

How is Lucia Hunt a secret weapon?

As Jeremy Hunt launched his campaign yesterday, his wife Lucia was sat at the front and centre.

As soon as Mr Hunt entered the room, he excused himself and went right over to his wife to greet her before he gave his presentation at the event in Westminster.

Mrs Hunt has carved out a strong personal profile to help her husband win his bid to takeover from Mrs May.

She was seen embracing her husband’s supporters including Amber Rudd before taking her position in the front row.

She even surprised crowds when Foreign Office minister Mark Field, who has thrown his support behind Jeremy Hunt, greeted her with an enthusiastic kissed her on the lips.

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt and Mark Field

Jeremy Hunt wife: Mark Field kissing Lucia Hunt as her husband launches his Tory leadership campaign (Image: NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP/GETTY)

Last month, Mr Hunt described his Chinese-born wife as his “secret weapon” and said she was the “perfect Foreign Secretary’s wife” after she accompanied him on a seven-day, five country tour of Africa.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph last month, the Foreign Secretary described his wife as the “perfect partner” and said her “toughness” was good to have by his side in a negotiation.

Mr Hunt has previously expressed his concerns about his ‘half-Chinese’ children facing hostility during a call-in radio show in 2014.

The former Health Secretary said he feared mounting anger against migrants would mean his wife and their children would face hostility for using the NHS.

He told the radio show: “I’d like to make one general point about immigration. My wife is Chinese and she obviously lives with me in London.

“My children are half Chinese and I do not want them to grow up in a country where people look at immigrants and say it’s difficult for me to access NHS services because of people like you.”

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt at Blenheim Palace

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt at Blenheim Palace event for President Trump (Image: DAN KITWOOD/GETTY)

After this appearance on radio, Labour MP Helen Goodman tweeted: “If China is so great, why did Jeremy Hunt’s wife come to England?”

This tweet resulted in widespread support for Lucia and the rest of the Hunt family and Ms Goodman was forced to apologise after taking down the tweet.

However, Mr Hunt has not always employed his secret weapon effectively.

Last year, Mr Hunt made a blunder when he called his wife Japanese on a trade trip to China, despite his wife being from China.

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt with her children

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia Hunt with her children at a Remembrance event with Philip May in 2018 (Image: GETTY)

What else does Mr Hunt have planned as Tory party leader?

While Mr Hunt spoke to a room full of conservative party members, Mrs Hunt watched on with a huge smile, as her husband outlined his plans for a “tough negotiation” over Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary said: “This extremely serious moment calls for an experienced, serious leader.

“Choose me for unity over division. For experience over rhetoric. For tough negotiation over empty threats.

“Choose me and I will take us through this time of crisis, deliver Brexit, and make our country walk tall in the world.”

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia and Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt wife: Lucia and Jeremy Hunt attending State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 3 (Image: VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP/GETTY)

Mr Hunt is seen as more level-headed and competent but his time as Health Secretary saw numerous strikes by junior doctors between 2015 and 2016 over pay and working conditions.

He has also pledged to cut tuition fees interest rates for students in an appeal to win over young voters.

The remaining contenders face the first official hustings of Tory MPs, starting today.

Ten candidates will go into the first round of voting on Thursday after pro-Remain former minister Sam Gyimah pulled out admitting he had been unable to build sufficient support.



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