Rhys Jones: Minister not worried about showing emotion

Sep 7 2007 by Rob Merrick, Liverpool Daily Post

JACQUI SMITH insisted any Home Secretary would have been close to tears hearing Melanie and Stephen Jones talk about their loss.

Two weeks ago, Ms Smith was visibly upset and struggled for composure during a TV interview about the tragedy.

Her admission to feeling “terrible” was in stark contrast to previous, male, home secretaries, in a job where appearing tough is often seen as important. Speaking for the first time about openly displaying her emotions, Ms Smith explained she spoke immediately after watching a 20-minute interview with Rhys’s parents.

She said: “I’m not averse to showing my emotions, but let me tell you what the context was.

“I think anybody who has got a kid, and anyone who hasn’t, who heard those parents would probably – male or female – have responded in the same way.”