A Conservative campaigner who said she had left the party because she was being bullied and was later found dead at the foot of cliffs took her own life, an inquest has ruled.
Jade Smith, 21, became well-known after featuring on BBC‘s Mighty Redcar programme, campaigning for the Conservative party and talking about her ‘I love Boris Johnson‘ leg tattoo.
Jade’s body was found at the foot of cliffs in Saltburn on September 29 last year after police attended a report of concern for her welfare.
Jade, from Redcar, had quit the Conservative party in 2016 after claiming she was ‘threatened, victimised and harassed’ by senior officials.
In a letter to the party’s disciplinary committee, she alleged she had been left stressed and unable to sleep due to intimidation and threats.
And she later wrote tweets that were published after her death claiming friends feared being raped or sexually abused if they attended Conservative party conferences.
Conservative campaigner Jade Smith (pictured with Boris Johnson), who was found dead at the foot of cliffs in Saltburn on September 29 last year, took her own life, an inquest has heard
When she left the party she told the Mirror: ‘I was told my allegations of bullying would be properly investigated but I’m not sure they ever were.
‘I completely flunked my exams because of the state I was in.
‘If the Conservatives wish to attract more young people they really have to start looking into allegations like mine seriously.’
Jade, who joined UKIP after quitting the party, had reportedly clashed with local chairwoman Christine Hobson after mentioning meetings on social media.
Ahead of her death, Jade had drafted a suicide note, which she had set to be published on Twitter days later.
In the tweets, she had called on the Conservative party to tackle bullying.
She said: ‘I’ve always received abuse for being a tory. But the abuse we receive from each other and the older people in our associations is what takes it too far.
‘We shouldn’t have to put up with the bullying from each other. We shouldn’t have to be worried that our friends are going to be raped at conference or at the very least sexually assaulted.
Jade, 21, had written tweets set to be published days after she took her own life, where she called on the Conservative party to tackle ‘bullying from each other’
‘We shouldn’t have to put up with creepy weird old men maturating over us or grabbing us to go and chat to their friends and try to take us home at the end of the night. Theres a reason we don’t feel safe at conference.’
She did not suggest bullying within the Conservative Party was the reason for her death.
An inquest at Teesside Coroner’s Court heard how she had previously spoken of taking her own life and told her boyfriend: ‘This time next year I will be dead, or I won’t be alive in a few years anyway.’
It was also said that bright and bubbly Jade ‘lit up a room just by walking into it’.
Jade was said to have experienced problems while working as a carer in the weeks leading up to her death and had previously struggled with drugs.
A toxicology report showed that at the time of her death she had significant levels of alcohol in her system.
A police report concluded it was ‘a tragic pre-planned suicide with no criminal element’.
Assistant coroner for Teesside Jo Wharton said she was satisfied that Jade intended to take her own life and recorded a verdict of suicide.
Jade was noticed by the production team behind BBC’s Mighty Redcar after writing an article for the Huffington Post titled ‘Criminals Do Not Define My Home Town’.
She featured in episode four of the BBC programme canvassing for the General Election and spoke about her Boris Johnson tattoo, which she got on her right leg during a boozy night out in Crete in 2017, when Mr Johnson was then Foreign Secretary.
After the programme, she flew to Greece, where she spent a ‘brilliant few months’ being a nanny and English teacher.
Assistant coroner for Teesside Jo Wharton said she was satisfied that Jade Smith intended to take her own life and recorded a verdict of suicide
Jade became well-known after appearing on BBC’s Mighty Redcar programme, campaigning for the Conservative party and talking about her ‘I love Boris Johnson’ leg tattoo (above)
Jade remained close to her adopted Greek family but returned to her hometown Redcar, where she worked in adult social care.
Jade, a former pupil of Redcar’s Rye Hills School and Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, enjoyed designing graphics, websites and photography and was starting to build her own brand.
Paying tribute to his girlfriend, her heartbroken boyfriend Chris Cassidy said previously: ‘Jade was fiery and formidable – she was passionate about politics and loved her local area of Redcar.
‘She’d excitedly point out the steelworks and could talk for hours about her hometown.’
Jade was described as a loyal friend, as well as a popular Rainbows and Brownies leader.
Jade’s best friend, Paige Beadle, previously said: ‘When she got laughing, she had one of those laughs that was contagious.
‘Words can’t describe how devastated I am to lose her.’
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article then you can call the Samaritans 24 hour helpline on 116 123.