Women in Westminster: In Conversation With Katy Balls
Political Editor of The Spectator, Katy Balls, is a woman who is plugged firmly into the national political conversation. As part of our Women in Westminster series, we sat down with Balls to discover how her curiosity-powered journalism helps the public understand the people and policies that affect their lives
“Growing up, I was always interested in journalism,” Katy Balls, political editor of The Spectator tells Women in Westminster at the start of our sit-down conversation. “Really, journalism came before politics but first and foremost, I was just quite nosy.”
“Nosiness” is an important quality for any reporter. For a journalist like Balls, who seeks to inform the public about the motivations and interests of political decision-makers, it is essential.
This is far more than recycling titbits from tearoom chatter. Balls explained to Women in Westminster that any real understanding of what is happening in Westminster has to start with an appreciation of the people who define our politics.
“So much of it does come down to personality politics,” she explains. “Of course, you need to understand the policy and what the parties are trying to achieve but some of the biggest and most monumental decisions in politics often come down to personalities.”
Balls’ journalism often focuses on people and what motivates them. Her inherent curiosity means that she is always seeking to understand the very human roots of how and why certain decisions are made. That approach has also given her an appreciation for the essential humanity of politicians – something that she believes is not always seen by the public.
“The public view of politicians is pretty sceptical,” she says. “I think it's fair enough that voters hold politicians to high standards but at the same time, it's one of those jobs where it is very easy to criticise. I think there are lots of politicians who are in it for good reasons.”
For Balls, showing a different side of politicians is important, precisely because it provides the reader or listener with a context that gives them a fuller understanding of contemporary political issues.
“People might say it is all a bit ‘Westminster bubble’ but the trick is getting under the skin of these people and relating that to the bigger issues of the day,” she explains. “It's not just scurrilous gossip. It helps explain to the readers what's happening and why.”
That ability to dig deeper to uncover the passions and motivations of those in public life is something that Balls also does every fortnight on her popular podcast, Women With Balls. The podcast hosts not just leading political figures, but also women from business, civic life, and journalism, exploring their passions, their battles, and what makes them tick.
Balls laughs as she explains that the genesis of her well-established podcast was not the result of an in-depth process of strategizing at The Spectator's head office.
“To be honest, it was my boss at the time, Fraser Nelson, who came up with the idea of the podcast, partly because of my surname,” she says. “I think he thought the joke was simply too good to waste.”
However, since its launch in 2019, the podcast has proven itself to be far more than just a great title. Women With Balls has established itself as a must-listen for anyone interested in UK politics, providing an intriguing and in-depth insight into a diverse range of leading women.
The podcast only works thanks to Balls adeptness and empathy as an interviewer, providing space for nuance and exploration in a media environment that increasingly focuses on division and soundbites. What Balls does so well, is create an intimate shared space – giving listeners the sense that they are listening in on a private and unguarded conversation. That sense of exploration is something that Balls has consciously tried to cultivate.
“It's not trying to be a Today Programme interview,” Balls tells us. “You can obviously ask the difficult questions, but the point is to introduce the listener to a different side of the person.”
Balls always focuses on the humanity of her guests, creating a dynamic that feels quite different from the majority of political interviews. It also often throws up interesting parallels that cut across party lines. Over the years, Balls has interviewed major female politicians from different parts of the political spectrum. She has learnt that, regardless of political affiliation, women in UK politics have often encountered very similar challenges.
“One of the things I have noticed is just how much of a shared experience women working in politics often have,” Balls tells us. “We often ask what the worst advice is you've ever been given and it's surprising the number of times, it's about a woman's wardrobe or appearance. Whatever their viewpoint or ideology, these women face the same things.”
Whoever she is interviewing, Balls always manages to maintain the right balance between probing and respectful. She is also aware that journalists have a responsibility not to feed an increasingly toxic political environment where public figures can be subjected to personal attacks.
She told Women in Westminster that while this impacts politicians of both genders, she detects a particular toxicity to the criticism some senior female politicians can encounter.
“I think there is a particular type of criticism and vitriol that women can face online which is quite different in style to what male politicians experience,” she says. “It is not a huge coincidence that quite a few modern female MPs have just chosen not to go on Twitter.”
Through her writing and her podcast, Balls is helping provide an antidote to the toxicity that sometimes surrounds political debate. Whenever you read or listen to her work, you get past clichés, caricatures, and slogans. Instead, you learn more about a person who makes decisions that affect your life. In that respect, Balls’ “nosiness” has turned out to be a valuable public service.
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