Giles Orpen-Smellie was elected to be Norfolk’s Conservative Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) in May 2021. He is standing for re-election on 2 May 2024. He loves the role, believes that he is making a definite difference, and is keen to continue the work he's started by becoming Norfolk's first second-term PCC.
Giles has a military background. The son of an Army officer, he trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before joining the Parachute Regiment in 1979 and served for 34 years. His operational experience includes nine tours in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Gulf War 1, the Balkans, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and briefly Iraq. He also worked as a staff officer in various appointments including the Ministry of Defence where he was a briefing officer for Michael Portillo and then George Robertson as Defence Secretaries. His last appointment was on secondment to the Foreign Office as the Defence Attache for Eastern Europe resident in Bucharest, Romania. He has published a book called Jigsaw Puzzles about his experiences as a battalion intelligence officer in the Falklands.
Since leaving the Army in 2012, Giles has held a judicial office in the Ministry of Justice’s Tribunal Service as well as completing a number of interim management projects reviewing the charitable objects, business models and funding plans of charities.
Giles has been married to Camilla for 36 years. They have two grown up sons and live near Fakenham where Giles keeps a small flock of sheep, a few hens and is a keen gardener.