Rachel Reeves Interviewed by Katy Balls

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves uncovers the stories of women whose contributions to economics have long been ignored and makes the case for a fairer society.

Reeves looks at women whose dreams, work and ideas have shaped modern economics and the way we think about society. They include economic theorists, such as Harriet Martineau, Mary Paley Marshall and Joan Robinson, and modern policymakers, such as Janet Yellen, Gita Gopinath and Christine Lagarde. Reeves explains how they have influenced her and outlines her vision for a future in which economic security is restored, family finances improve and the economy grows to make everyone better off.

Reeves has been Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer since May 2021 and would likely be Chancellor of the Exchequer if Labour formed a government after the next general election. Before her election as an MP in 2010, she worked as an economist for the Bank of England and for HBOS. Here she talks to political editor of the Spectator Katy Balls.

The Oxford Lecture is a new annual event to be delivered in any field by eminent figures who were educated at the University of Oxford.