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Hello and welcome to Women with Balls, where I interview today is Trailblazers.

This special episode was recorded early this week at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool,

where I sat down with the Education Secretary Bridget Philipson.

She has been on this podcast once before, back when she was shadowed chief secretary to the Treasury.

But since a lot has changed between now and then, including who was in government, we thought would allow her back on.

We hope you enjoy.

Now, Bridget, on this podcast, we tend to ask everyone the same question.

I've been told it's a loaded question, which is, would you describe yours as a happy childhood?

And you've spoken, I think, in the past about

rotten windows and some struggles growing up. My childhood was very happy. It wasn't without its

challenges, but it reinforced to me why what matters most is the love that a family can give,

not the shape or the size of that family. My man brought me up on her own as a single parent.

We grew up in a council street in Washington and the Northeast during the 80s and 90s,

which was pretty tough at times.

But I reflect on the good fortune that I've had.

Lots of the kids in my street had it even harder.

And I now have the privilege as Education Secretary to

seek to turn around those odds for working class kids. I don't think it's enough to think that just

...