In our Career Conversations, Ambassadors from The Girls’ Network get the opportunity to speak with inspiring women in leadership and hear honest reflections on their journeys. We recently invited Angela Rayner MP to take part in a special Q&A, where four of our ambassadors shared their questions by email, exploring confidence, representation, and what it takes to create lasting change. 

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Angela Rayner MP is the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne, first elected in 2015. She served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2025, and as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government following Labour’s 2024 general election victory.

Raised in Stockport, Angela left school at 16 while pregnant and without qualifications. She trained in social care and worked as a care worker before rising through the ranks of UNISON, becoming the union’s most senior official in the North West. Her lived experience of poverty, inequality, and frontline public service shaped her politics and deep commitment to social justice.

In Parliament, she has championed women’s rights, education, equal opportunity, and protections for workers and families. Her journey to one of the UK’s most senior political figures reflects the power of action, solidarity, and resilience. 

Angela Rayner graciously responded to a set of questions submitted by our ambassadors. Here’s what she had to share.

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Question from Ambassador Salma from London 

What would you say to your younger self?

I’d say, you didn’t have the easiest start in life but none of that defined what you became. Growing up on a Stockport council estate, becoming a mum at 16, leaving school without qualifications — none of that dictated the limits of my potential. Remember, there is only one of you and that is your power. Don’t let anyone else shrink your ambition. Your voice matters. The things that make you different — your accent, your background, your life experience — these are strengths, not weaknesses. I get mocked for my working class accent and my ginger hair but I celebrate my differences. 

Question from Ambassador Liv from Liverpool

Who has been a key mentor in your life, and why?

My mum inspired me as I watched her navigate life with limited resources but huge determination. She always did her best even when times were really hard.

I’ve been lucky to have several people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Trade union mentors during my time with Unison were particularly important. They taught me not just about workers’ rights, but about solidarity — and lifting you up as you climb.

Question from Ambassador Amy from Eastbourne  

What do you believe is the biggest obstacle for young women joining male dominated industries and how can we create space for them to explore opportunities without feeling held back by their gender?

I think one of the biggest obstacles is confidence — not because young women lack ability. It’s because too often they don’t see themselves reflected in those industries. If you can’t see it, it’s harder to believe you can be it.

We also have to tackle structural barriers — workplace cultures that exclude, the gender pay gap, lack of flexible working, and outdated stereotypes about what jobs are “for men” and what jobs are “for women”.

Creating space means practical action: strong anti-harassment policies, transparent pay structures, mentoring networks, and visible female leadership. It also means starting early in schools — showing girls that engineering, tech, construction, politics — belongs to them just as much as anyone else.

Question from Ambassador Samantha from Leicester

Women from underprivileged and working-class backgrounds still face major barriers in education, careers, and leadership. What specific actions will the government take to ensure they have equal opportunities and are not left behind?

This is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like to feel the system wasn’t built with you in mind. 

My work in government is focused on breaking down structural inequality so it’s great to see Labour investing in early years provision so children don’t start school already behind, strengthening comprehensive education, expanding skills and apprenticeships, and improving access to affordable childcare so women aren’t forced out of the workforce.

Equal opportunity isn’t just about opening the door; it’s about making sure women from working-class backgrounds have the support, financial security and confidence to walk through it — and to lead once they’re there.

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We’re incredibly grateful to Angela Rayner MP for taking the time to share her experiences and insights, and to our ambassadors for bringing such thoughtful and powerful questions. Conversations like this remind us of the importance of representation, resilience, and using your voice and we hope they inspire more young women to see what’s possible for their own futures. 

All the previous MPs who have represented my historic constituency have had one thing in common that I do not share: they have all been men. Today, I stand here making my maiden speech as the first woman MP to serve Ashton-under-Lyne in 183 years, and, as the first woman MP, I promise that I will do all in my power to live up to the examples shown by my predecessors. Of course, I could never fill their shoes, mine tend to have three-inch heels and to be rather more colourful, but I walk in their footsteps. We are different, and I will be different, but we are equal too.

Angela Rayner MP in her maiden speech to the House of Commons, June 2015.