Jeremy Hunt’s life with ‘secret weapon’ spouse, children and ‘horrible mistake’

It isn’t uncommon for Jeremy Hunt to offer his spouse Lucia a point out in his political talks – in any case, he describes her as his ‘secret weapon’.

In final yr’s Autumn Statement, he felt compelled to publicly apologise for forgetting her birthday, and on an official go to to China, he was compelled to right her nationality after getting it flawed. She may also get a nod in at the moment’s Budget, the place the Chancellor is ready to announce his ‘plan for progress’.

He needs to maneuver in the direction of a “lower tax economy” in a touch at a pre-election giveaway to voters. Speculators estimate Mr Hunt might search to chop a few pence off revenue tax or nationwide insurance coverage to ease the burden on working households.

But what does the minister’s own residence life appear like? The Mirror takes a have a look at his spouse and kids.

Mr Hunt met Lucia Gao in 2008 in Warwick at a Hotcourses occasion – a web based training enterprise which turned then 40-year-old Mr Hunt right into a multi-millionaire. Lucia, who was born in Xi’an, China, was working at Warick University on the time, the place she helped recruit Chinese college students.

There is an 11-year age hole between the couple, with Jeremy now aged 57 and Lucia 45. And this is perhaps why he reportedly describes her because the “sparkler” in his and his household’s lives.

Just lower than a yr after they met, Jeremy requested Lucia to marry him throughout a Christmas Eve stroll and the pair later tied the knot in 2009 at Lucia’s residence in China, surrounded by household. It was right here the place the political heavyweight got here to be affectionately recognized by his spouse as ‘Big Rice.’

Lucia has previously let slip that the pet identify got here from her grandmother after they have been in China collectively for his or her huge day. Speaking to the Mail, she stated: “My grandma found it very hard to say ‘Jeremy’ so she would just call him the ‘big mi’. Mi means ‘rice’, so I call him ‘big rice’.”

And throughout Jeremy’s Tory management marketing campaign in 2019, he revealed that his spouse was his “secret weapon”, saying Lucia was the “perfect Foreign Secretary’s wife” after she accompanied him on a seven-day, five-country tour of Africa.

She is commonly pictured at Conservative Party occasions by his facet – and Jeremy has beforehand instructed the Daily Telegraph that Lucia’s “toughness” was good to have in a negotiation. It isn’t clear what Lucia’s occupation is now, however she usually appeared on Sky TV’s China Hour and introduced her personal present referred to as Signature Flowers Of China.

Lucia can be mum to their three kids – 13-year-old son Jack was born in 2010 adopted by daughters Anna, 11, and Eleanor, 9. They attempt to maintain them out of the highlight however they’ve been pictured every so often.

In 2018, Mr Hunt was compelled to publicly apologise after getting his spouse’s nationality flawed. As international secretary on his first official go to to China, he referred to his spouse as Japanese as a substitute. “My wife is Japanese – my wife is Chinese. That’s a terrible mistake to make,” he instructed his counterpart, the Chinese international minister Wang Yi.

He added: “My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xi’an and strong family connections in China.” And in final yr’s Autumn assertion, he wished Lucia a contented birthday after forgetting to purchase her a card.

Addressing her within the press gallery, he stated she seemed “younger every year” earlier than admitting to feeling “incredibly guilty” for not shopping for her a card, saying he was going to make it as much as her on the weekend. The married couple have a household residence in Jeremy’s constituency of Hambledon, in South West Surrey, and his private web site says he splits his time between the property and Westminster.

But after transferring into No 11 Downing Street, the kids are reportedly pleasant with the Prime Minister’s kids subsequent door. “The children have already started regular playdates with Rishi [Sunak]’s children, as they’re just next door,” Mr Hunt stated, based on the Mail.

Together, Lucia and Jeremy run an actual property enterprise referred to as Mare Pond Properties Ltd and based on The Evening Standard, they’ve a £1.7m townhouse in Pimlico, South London. As a part of their property portfolio, the couple additionally share seven flats within the waterside Ocean Village improvement in Southampton, which they hire out as landlords.