“Someone will literally be in charge of the planning brief, and suddenly, their latent interest in the Risk board game will come out, and they’ll start loitering around the PM’s office...”
Over the course of both Helen and Cleo’s political careers, they were often one of a handful (if not the only) woman in the room. From cabinet briefings to Cobra meetings, things can get a bit ‘boy’s club’ when the gloves come off and the big conversations must be had.
This clip is from episode 3 of In the Room, which you can listen to in full on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
Read The Independent’s influence list for International Women’s Day 2026 here.
