Women With Balls: Caroline Lucas
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 24 March 2025
⏱️ 34 minutes
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Summary
Having completed a PhD in English, worked for Oxfam, and been involved in local Green Party politics, she went on to serve in the European Parliament for a decade. In 2010, she was elected to Parliament as the MP for Brighton Pavilion and, during her 14 years in Westminster, the Green Party went from 0.9% of the national vote to 6.4%. Although she stepped down, a record 4 Green Party MPs were elected at the 2024 election.
On the podcast - the 150th episode of Women With Balls - Caroline tells Katy Balls about growing up with different politics to her Conservative-voting parents, why her views on nuclear weapons haven’t changed, and whether the left can be patriotic. She also talks about being a peer of Nigel Farage in Brussels, what it’s like being the sole parliamentary party representative, and why she never considered joining the Labour Party. She argues that there is a political urgency for the left to discuss ‘Englishness’, as outlined in her bestselling book Another England: How To Reclaim Our National Story, which is available now in paperback.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of Women with Balls is sponsored by Alliance Witten Investment Trust. From the OPEC |
| 0:06.0 | oil crisis of the 1970s, the financial crash in 2008, to the COVID epidemic and Liz Truss's |
| 0:13.1 | doomed premiership. There has been no shortage of economic crises over the last 58 years. And yet, |
| 0:19.6 | throughout that time, every single year, without fail, |
| 0:22.8 | we've paid out an increased dividend to our shareholders. In fact, Alliance Witten's history |
| 0:28.3 | dates all the way back to 1888. And today, we manage around £5 billion in assets. |
| 0:35.5 | If you're looking for a less stressful way to invest in stocks and shares, |
| 0:39.2 | learn more about Alliance Whitten and find your comfort zone. |
| 0:46.5 | Hello and welcome to Women with Balls, where I, Katie Balls, speak to today's trailblazers. |
| 0:51.9 | My guest today is arguably the most recognisable face of the modern |
| 0:54.9 | Green Party movement in the UK, having served not only as their leader free times, but as their |
| 0:59.9 | first ever MP. Having worked for Oxfam and been a local Green Party councillor, she went on to be |
| 1:05.8 | elected as a member of the European Parliament for South East England in 1999 and went on to serve for a decade. |
| 1:13.1 | In 2010, she was elected to Parliament as the MP for Brighton Pavilion. |
| 1:17.2 | At the time, the Green Party received 0.9% of the national vote and stood in just under half of all seats. |
| 1:23.7 | By 2024, when she stood down, the party stood in all but one seat across England and Wales, |
| 1:29.7 | received 6.4% in the national vote and elected several MPs, cementing a legacy that began with her victory in 2010. |
| 1:37.9 | Her Sunday Times best-selling book, Another England, How to Reclaim Our National Story, |
| 1:42.7 | also named as one of the spectators' books of the year for |
| 1:45.3 | 24, is available now in paperback. I'm delighted to say my guest today is Caroline Lucas. |
| 1:56.8 | Caroline, great to have you on the podcast for what is actually our 150th episode. |
| 2:01.4 | Oh, wow. I'm very honoured. Thank you so much. To begin, we ask everyone the same question, |
... |
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