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Her father was a chartered accountant, who sent her to one of the country's top public schools.

She studied PPE at Oxford before going on to represent the city in Parliament.

The background of my guest on political thinking this week may sound like that of a leading

conservative, but it is that of Keir Starmer's surprise choice to be Shen O'Chancellor,

Annalise Dodds.

One said she was chosen because she made no enemies and joined no faction in her three

years in Westminster, serving Jeremy Corbyn, but not becoming a Corbyn Easter.

Others that her masters in social policy, her doctorate in government, her career, writing

about public policy, made her more than qualified the most.

A few wondered whether the Labour leader believed that the low-key, conscientious, policy-obsessed

daughter of a Scottish accountant was just the image that his party needed in the next

candidate to move into 11 Downing Street.

Annalise Dodds, welcome to political thinking.

Thank you.

I can see you now talking from your home in Oxford.

And a lot of the time when we've seen you on television during this crisis, you've been

up, I don't know if in the attic or in the study or in the spare room, just occasionally

it's not always gone to plan.

And has it, I think, one of your children cracked into shot on one occasion?

Yeah, my daughter came in and I thought she was still asleep, but she came in and thankfully

sat underneath the chair.

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