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Hello and welcome to Women of Balls, where I, Katie Balls, speak to today's trailblazers.

Born in Winchester and brought up in Dorset, my guest today studied physiotherapy at the University

of East Anglia and is now the MP for York Central. Having previously worked as a care worker

and a physiotherapist in the NHS

for over two decades, and as a trade unionist, she was inspired by her uncle, a former

advisor to the Wilson government, to enter politics. In Parliament, she has championed causes

ranging from improving healthcare, housing and development and on the environment and climate.

She's not afraid to stand up for her beliefs.

Most recently, she was a leading voice in opposition to this as a dying bill through her role as

the chair of the dying well, APPG. My guest today is Rachel Maskell.

Rachel, thank you for joining today. Is this your first visit to The Spectator? It's great to be here for the first time.

We're going to begin with a question we ask all our guests, which is would you describe yours as a happy childhood?

I've mentioned that you were brought up in Dorset. It was a fantastic childhood, really. I mean,

on the South Coast, on the edge of New Forest,, wonderful place to grow up in a lot of freedom.

It was the 1970s, so shall I say there was a lot of politics in the home.

And certainly I found it as opposed to it found me.

And I have always been really interested in what's happened around current affairs.

So our dinner table conversations were always

...