
Women With Balls
The Spectator's Political Editor, Katy Balls, speaks to women fortnightly at the top of their respective games, about their passions, their battles, and what makes them tick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Oct 30, 2020 • 40min
The Anneliese Dodds Edition
Anneliese Dodds is the shadow chancellor. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about protesting tuition fees in a university exams hall, life before politics, forcing Rishi Sunak into the Commons on his birthday, and whether the Conservatives are spending too much money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 16, 2020 • 37min
The Rachel Johnson Edition
Rachel Johnson is a journalist, author and broadcaster. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about what it was like to go to a boys' boarding school, why university had been so eye-opening after her childhood, her brief foray into politics for Change UK, and the worst pieces of advice she's ever got (both from her mother). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 2, 2020 • 32min
The Louise Haigh Edition
Louise Haigh is the shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her family's political roots; quitting university after not fitting in; her reflections on nominating Jeremy Corbyn for Labour Party leader; and being offered a job with a spider on her shoulder. Presented by Katy Balls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 25, 2020 • 40min
The Emily Sheffield Edition
Emily Sheffield is the editor of the Evening Standard. She was formerly deputy editor at Vogue, and has started her own journalistic venture at This Much I Know. She also happens to be sister of Samantha Cameron. On the podcast, she talks about the real story behind why she was kicked out of Marlborough as a teenager (spoiler: it was unrequited love gone wrong); battling sexism on her first day at the Guardian; and her two pennies on Sasha Swire's diary.Presented by Katy Balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 11, 2020 • 37min
The Sarah Sands Edition
Sarah Sands is the former editor of the Today programme. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her departure from the Sunday Telegraph after just nine months as Editor; giving John Humphreys a pay cut; and what it was like to find out on election night that the Boris Johnson government intended to boycott Today.Presented by Katy Balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 17, 2020 • 37min
Women in finance: can technology help bridge the gap?
As technology becomes ever more part of our daily lives, banking is no different. You might have already used some ‘fintech’ innovations like Monzo and Klarna. The flexibility of fintech can particularly help women in their day-to-day lives, but if that’s the case, why is some fintech mostly used and created by men? In this special episode of Women With Balls, Katy Balls is joined by her panel to discuss these issues and more. With Nicky Morgan, Baroness of Cotes, a former Conservative Cabinet Minister and chair of the Treasury Select Committee; Chi Onwurah, a shadow Science minister, who was head of telecoms at Ofcom; Gill Wylie, Transformation Director at Lloyds Banking Group.Sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 3, 2020 • 27min
The Chloe Smith Edition
Chloe Smith is the Conservative MP for Norwich North and minister at the Cabinet Office. She entered parliament at the age of 27 and rose through the ranks quickly. In 2012, she was interviewed by Jeremy Paxman in what has been described as a 'car crash interview' when she was sent out to defend then-Chancellor George Osborne's U-turn on fuel duty. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about what it was like to do that interview and the aftermath, why she proposed to her husband, and what it was like to receive a fake anthrax package.Presented by Katy Balls.Click here to try 12 weeks of the Spectator for £12 and get a free £20 Amazon gift voucher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 19, 2020 • 29min
The Joanna Trollope Edition
Joanna Trollope is an award-winning novelist, whose books have sold more than eight million copies worldwide. She's known best for her novel, The Rector's Wife, which was adapted into a TV series. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about the expectations on her as a girl growing up in the 40s, how stay at home mums can still be feminists, and how, as she gets older, she finds she gets her way more.Click here to try 12 weeks of the Spectator for £12 and get a free £20 Amazon gift voucher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2020 • 30min
The Sunetra Gupta Edition
Sunetra Gupta is Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford. An expert in the fight against infectious diseases, she is the lead scientist behind the Oxford study that disputed Imperial College's dire coronavirus predictions. She is also a novelist and translator. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about her writing and how it was inspired by her intellectual father; her dispute with the mentor of Imperial College's Neil Ferguson; and how she has found being in the public eye.Presented by Katy Balls.Get a subscription to The Spectator as well as a copy of Lionel Shriver's book, all for free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 22, 2020 • 37min
The Kate Forbes Edition
Kate Forbes is an SNP MP and the Scottish Finance Secretary. She stepped in at the last minute when her predecessor, Derek MacKay, was suspended from the party on the day of the Budget. On the podcast, she talks about her international upbringing and how that relates to her nationalism, what it was like to step in for the Budget on that day, and how she squares her faith with politics.Get a month's free trial of The Spectator and a free wireless charger here.Presented by Katy Balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.