Women With Balls: Kim Leadbeater

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4.4 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

Kim Leadbeater has been an MP since winning the Batley & Spen by-election for Labour in 2021. She was elected to the constituency that her sister, Jo Cox, had served until she was murdered during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign. Having pursued a career in health and fitness, Kim hadn’t initially intended on a life in politics, but she went on to champion social and political cohesion through the Jo Cox Foundation and the More in Common initiative. More recently, she has led the campaign to legalise Assisted Dying. The Bill is currently making its way through Parliament and has been described as the biggest social reform in a generation.

On the podcast, Kim talks to Katy Balls about finding common ground with other Yorkshire MPs (including one former Prime Minister), why she thinks the growing popularity of Reform is a worrying sign of disillusionment in politics, and how she is more likely to retire than pursue a third career. The debate around Assisted Dying has been more ‘unpleasant’ than expected but she has no regrets, and thinks that – most importantly – the national conversation around death has moved on. Despite a proposed extension, Kim hopes the Bill – if passed – will be implemented within 2-3 years.

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.
0:05.1	From the OPEC oil crisis of the 1970s, the financial crash in 2008, to the COVID epidemic
0:12.0	and Liz Truss's doomed premiership. There has been no shortage of economic crises over the last 58 years.
0:19.0	And yet, 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 Witten and find your comfort zone.
0:46.3	Hello and welcome to Women with Balls, where I, Katie Balls, speak to today's trailblazers.
0:51.1	My guest today has had an unexpected path into politics. Born and raised in
0:54.9	West Yorkshire, she started her career in the furniture industry for retraining and pursuing a career
0:59.5	in health and fitness. Her life changed forever when her sister, the MP Jo Cox, was murdered
1:04.3	by a right-wing extremist during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign. For us into the public eyes,
1:09.2	she became a voice for unity across politics,
1:11.6	helping to found the Joe Cox Foundation and the more uncommon initiative, and she's been awarded
1:16.1	an MBE for her work on social cohesion. Five years later, in 2021, she was elected as a Labour MP
1:22.0	in a by-election in the constituency her sister had served, and she was also named the spectator's newcomer of the year more
1:28.8	recently she has been the face of the campaign to legalise assisted dying following her autumn
1:33.1	private members will currently making its way through the parliamentary process it's been described as
1:37.8	the biggest social reform in a generation my guest today is Kim Ledbita.
1:49.2	Kim, delighted to have you in the spectator offices today.
1:50.8	Is this your first time over here?
	...

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