EP15 Doing deal with India is really really Important for us | Baroness Foster

[00:00:00] This is India a story in the making and I'm your host Loveena Tandon.

[00:00:05] Hello and welcome to India a story in the making. As the biggest democratic exercise

[00:00:11] of the world, the Indian elections are coming to an end. United Kingdom, Britain has announced

[00:00:17] its own elections. Britain known as the land of mother of democracy now is in its

[00:00:24] election fervour. Now elections change the government sometimes at least but how do they

[00:00:31] impact the working of the countries or the trades between the country that is quite impacted as well.

[00:00:41] In the light of this pre-trade agreement between India and UK that has been hanging for a very

[00:00:48] long time how will that be impacted or will it be at all and why hasn't it not been through the line

[00:00:57] despite being spoken about for a very long time. These are many questions that we explore

[00:01:03] with Baroness Foster who now takes the position of chair of inter-uk trade but there is something

[00:01:10] more to her as well very interesting she was the first female to be the first minister

[00:01:16] of Northern Ireland and I want to explore with her what is it to be a woman in politics

[00:01:23] in the United Kingdom and also the first minister at that and what can women bring

[00:01:30] to politics that men cannot so an interesting discussion indeed stay tuned on India a story

[00:01:36] in the making. This is Baroness Foster. Hello and welcome to India a story in the making.

[00:01:42] Usually I do this in person but Baroness Arlene Foster who is with me and joining from Northern

[00:01:48] Ireland just left and the elections were announced so I had to get her somehow so here we are

[00:01:55] doing it virtually. Thank you very much Baroness Foster for making time despite the

[00:02:02] elections having been called in the UK and thank you very very much indeed.

[00:02:07] Well it's lovely to see you again Navina and actually it must be about a year and a half since

[00:02:13] we have a chat so it's good good to catch up again. Yeah indeed absolutely and what an amazing

[00:02:19] time the mother of the biggest democratic exercise in India is coming to an end and

[00:02:27] the mother of democracy has announced its election so should I just begin by asking

[00:02:34] you about India. You have been to India, you know India, you are in the thick of the trade

[00:02:40] Indo-UK relations and we'll get into that but tell me how do you look at these

[00:02:45] elections the biggest democratic exercise 969 million people having to vote and a bowling

[00:02:53] booth for one person being 10 people a team of 10 taking a bowling booth for one person.

[00:03:00] How do you see this whole election from sitting here? Well isn't that wonderful to hear that

[00:03:06] story that people are actually coming together just to allow one person to vote because

[00:03:11] democracy is about the power of one it's about individuals expressing their opinion as to what

[00:03:16] they want to see and the scale of what is happening in India is just very difficult for

[00:03:22] us in the UK to understand because it's such a huge exercise in democracy and now that the

[00:03:29] election has been called here as well obviously our minds turn to what is going to happen here

[00:03:36] in the UK but I suppose the biggest impact that the calling of the election here in the UK has

[00:03:43] had as regards India is the fact that there was to be a British delegation go out to New

[00:03:50] Delhi this week to try and sort out the last remaining knotty problems in the trade deal

[00:03:58] and of course because of our rules here in the UK pre-election rules that visit's now not going

[00:04:05] to take place and that's disappointing of course disappointing I'm sure for both sides who have

[00:04:11] been working hard to try and bring this to a conclusion but the prize is still there

[00:04:17] and I think once the elections are over and we have a new government in place

[00:04:22] that should certainly be one of the priorities for the next government

[00:04:29] and I think you are the chairperson for inter trade UK and FDA the free trade agreement

[00:04:36] between India and the UK and been going on forever we have been listening about it since

[00:04:40] Boris Johnson was there. Do elections in any shape or form change the way or what government

[00:04:49] comes in each place does that change the dynamics of FDA in any way? Well I hope it doesn't I hope

[00:04:58] it's a continuation I mean the officials the civil servants will remain the same but obviously

[00:05:02] they will have different ministers in charge it will be interesting to see if there's any

[00:05:07] slight nuances and changes and what's important for those ministers obviously if it goes against

[00:05:15] all the polls and it's a Tory government again then it will definitely be a continuation but I

[00:05:19] think most people expect to have a Labour government here in the UK after the 4th of July

[00:05:26] and you know this is the biggest deal that we will do after Brexit and therefore we really

[00:05:33] need to concentrate on that the scale of the deal that has been talked about I think

[00:05:39] is really important and therefore I hope that the next government whatever shade or colour it is

[00:05:45] will prioritise certainly in the trade department the trade deal with India.

[00:05:52] What about the Indian counterpart does that change the dynamics as to who comes

[00:05:58] or who would one want or desire if there is any? Well yeah well I think from what I

[00:06:05] understand we expect a BJP government again in India and if that is the case then there'll be

[00:06:13] a continuation of the issues that we've been dealing with up until now. I mean India and

[00:06:19] ourselves have got a long relationship sometimes good sometimes not so good but I think at the

[00:06:24] moment we are in a really good place in relationships between India and ourselves. India

[00:06:31] invests a lot in the UK I think it's the second largest investor in the UK. We of course

[00:06:38] likewise invest in India and there's this really good relationship that goes on between India

[00:06:44] and the UK and of course in the person of our Prime Minister it's been wonderful to see

[00:06:49] a British Indian Prime Minister come to the fore in the way that he has and I think that

[00:06:53] underlies the relationship between India and the UK.

[00:06:59] How does the how will how significant let us say is this FTA agreement in terms of

[00:07:09] from when it started to where India is now it has moved leaps and bounds.

[00:07:14] Indian market is quite lucrative it is seen as the next big thing happening or it's already

[00:07:20] in the making. Where does the FTA stand vis-a-vis that what are the significant things that it'll move?

[00:07:31] Well I think it's a very good point because when I started to go to India as a trade minister

[00:07:35] here in Northern Ireland back in about I suppose 2010 2011 probably was my first

[00:07:42] visit to India and of course then it was a huge market for us a small region of the United

[00:07:48] Kingdom and we started to try and work with different regions of India but even since then

[00:07:55] the growth and the change in terms of technology that has been occurring in India I think has

[00:08:01] been really striking and I was reading somewhere that you know whereas the 19th century was

[00:08:09] the UK's century and the USA's century was the 20th century, the 21st century is absolutely

[00:08:15] India's century and because of its scale and because of its technology driving ahead

[00:08:22] I think that that's probably right and therefore its leadership in terms of the

[00:08:27] global south is really really important to the world so it is this global superpower

[00:08:34] that we really need to harness and I think for us in the UK if we want to be global Britain

[00:08:40] as we describe ourselves then doing a deal with India is really really important for us and

[00:08:46] as I say I hope it is a priority for the next government whatever shade that is.

[00:08:54] In the time that we are talking Britain has had Brexit and has become smaller in the sense

[00:09:02] of a market and India has grown do you think this FTA is quite important for Britain to

[00:09:09] have struck in terms of where it is now and it is in a way redefining and rediscovering itself

[00:09:20] and making its place? I think there has been a shift certainly and not enough of a shift

[00:09:26] if I'm honest you know from my perspective when we left the European Union the idea was

[00:09:32] that we as an independent nation would be able to do deals with other countries across the

[00:09:38] world and there have been some moves in that respect to see the southern trade deal that we

[00:09:46] recently did with the specific nations I think has been important but I also think that we can

[00:09:53] do more and it has been disappointing that we haven't been able to get the trade deal over

[00:10:00] the line with India. It has taken and I know it's very complicated and I know there's a lot of

[00:10:06] little parts that cause problems and that's what usually holds up.

[00:10:11] You could be 85% of the way there but the 15% that is left is really

[00:10:17] problematical so the question is do you agree the 85% that you have and then put the

[00:10:24] other 15% to the side? That may or may not be acceptable to India and if it isn't then you

[00:10:30] have to try and strive to deal with the other difficulties that are there. So I think Brexit

[00:10:35] has given the UK an opportunity to do this. I hope we can move that on ahead now with the

[00:10:42] next government and don't get bogged down in the ever-increasing circles of should we go back

[00:10:49] into Europe again because I don't think that's what the UK people are. I think we want to

[00:10:53] just get on, talk about global Britain and do the deals with places like India which

[00:11:00] are forging ahead in the world and it would be wonderful to be a part of that.

[00:11:07] Would you reveal some of the niggly bits and what are the niggly bits really?

[00:11:15] I think people have been talking about when I say niggly bits they are quite big

[00:11:20] so obviously work phases are an issue and I think recognition of professional standards

[00:11:32] across India and the UK are important too but I don't think these are insurmountable. It's a bit

[00:11:38] like when we're talking to the United States of America as a global piece as well there are

[00:11:45] difficulties sometimes there because different states have different levels of regulation and

[00:11:51] what have you and that sometimes it's easier to do deals with different states like there is a

[00:11:57] cooperation understanding with Texas for example but it would be really good if we could move

[00:12:03] ahead with India. I think given our history, given our common understanding, our value system

[00:12:10] which I really strongly believe that we share, I think there is an opportunity to do a deal that

[00:12:16] would make a difference to us yes in the UK but also in India as well and I think that's

[00:12:21] what's important that we both benefit from it. I know these deals are so much dependent

[00:12:27] on the civil servants more than the politicians, the politicians have the intent. Do you think

[00:12:34] somewhere India having shifted the way it is in the world, the space that it takes in the world,

[00:12:43] the stature that it has and Britain or the people working around it have not really

[00:12:51] readjusted their minds to it and find it hard to see India in a position where it is now

[00:12:58] that holds them back to finalise or formalise the deal? Has this culture in play?

[00:13:06] It's a very interesting point actually. Sometimes I get frustrated with the Foreign

[00:13:10] Commonwealth Office and indeed with some of our civil servants that they haven't,

[00:13:14] you know they're sort of playing the game with the rules and the tools to deal with it

[00:13:21] from the 90s or from the 2000s you know and things change, things change and I think there

[00:13:28] has to be an acknowledgement of how India has changed. Like rapidly over quite a short period

[00:13:33] of time particularly in terms of opening up and scaling back on regulation doesn't mean that

[00:13:40] there isn't still issues that we need to talk about and you know how we understand each other

[00:13:46] in terms of culture and what have you but I think our values are very much shared and therefore

[00:13:53] I think it is a good point and I hope that whoever the politicians are who are leading

[00:13:58] on this in the future can bring some of that to the civil servants as well. I mean I'm not

[00:14:04] dismissing civil servants, don't understand that would be the wrong thing to say but I do

[00:14:08] think you need to understand that anything that you do has to be flexible. So if we are to

[00:14:14] have a trade deal it has to be able to move and it has to be able to flex and not just be set in

[00:14:22] stone at the moment it's signed and to be able to do that requires good negotiation skills I

[00:14:30] think. Yeah I know and talking to each other rather than talking at each other I think that's

[00:14:35] yeah sometimes I hear that kind of talking at India we just have to look across at each other

[00:14:44] as equal partners. Yeah oh most definitely when you see the what has been happening in India there is

[00:14:50] no doubt about that I mean I think the days of the UK talking at people should be gone,

[00:14:59] should not be in anybody's psyche you know anymore and I think what we should be doing

[00:15:05] is trying to find a relationship space, a trade deal that respects each other,

[00:15:13] respects each other's strengths and also where there are challenges and weaknesses and how we

[00:15:18] can get around those but if there is that genuine respect for each other and we're not

[00:15:22] talking at each other but we're actually talking with each other and trying to find a deal

[00:15:27] that is good for both countries not just for one or the other. Sometimes I get frustrated

[00:15:31] maybe it's the female politician in me is supposed to be you know this is not about just getting a

[00:15:37] win for one side it's about actually getting a win for both sides so that we can both benefit.

[00:15:42] Indeed. I really think that. Yes thank you and you've been so open and upfront about it

[00:15:48] thank you for that really we need more people like you in there.

[00:15:54] Baroness Foster you said you went to India in 2010 and then you went in 2016

[00:16:00] and do you yourself also feel that it's moved or because I go like you like any other person

[00:16:09] now. What is the change that you feel that needs to be taken note of? Well I mean I

[00:16:18] feel that it has changed and has become more open in terms of business, in terms of doing

[00:16:24] business. I haven't been back since I think it was 2016 I had been a couple of times before that

[00:16:30] to Bangalore, I've been to New Delhi, I've been to Mumbai. I mean the thing when you visit India

[00:16:39] it's just lovely to think about actually it's an assault on all your senses.

[00:16:44] I just love it. You go and it's just oh my goodness this is wonderful and the noise and

[00:16:50] the smells and the colour and the culture it's a wonderful place to visit and I do hope to be back

[00:16:57] in the near future if I can at all. What do you love about India?

[00:17:04] It was mostly about meeting businesses that were interested in coming to Northern Ireland

[00:17:08] or maybe we had some businesses with us from Northern Ireland wanting to do trade

[00:17:12] in India so it was very much centered around that but I did have a bit of an opportunity to

[00:17:18] get out and about around Mumbai and at the time I was in Bangalore actually they were building a new

[00:17:25] rail system in the city and it was just wonderful to see the speed and the expertise

[00:17:32] and building infrastructure that was going on at that time. So yeah I'm really looking forward

[00:17:38] to going back to India if I can. You would have gone had the elections not been gold.

[00:17:44] Hopefully yeah but look I mean as you know elections are taking place in so many places

[00:17:50] this year. I think it's dubbed the year of elections because I think about half the

[00:17:55] community of the world are going to elections which is good because it is good that people

[00:18:01] you know everybody has the same power on election day. I have the same power as

[00:18:05] you because we only have one vote each and therefore doesn't matter how much money you

[00:18:10] have doesn't matter what your standing is in society you have the same power as the person

[00:18:15] next to you in the polling booth and to me that's the wonderful thing about democracy.

[00:18:20] We have one vote we use it and I get frustrated when I hear people say no I'm not voting.

[00:18:26] I agree. I might not agree with your politics but you should vote because if you don't vote

[00:18:33] then your voice isn't heard and I think that's really frustrating.

[00:18:36] Yeah you have to speak whatever it is. That's absolutely right. Moving to the UK elections now

[00:18:45] we have these few weeks to get it all set and done. How are you

[00:18:52] playing it out? What's happening do you think? Some insight in you.

[00:18:57] Well it's certainly shorter than the Indian elections

[00:19:01] but I mean I was in Westminster when the Prime Minister called elections last Wednesday.

[00:19:07] It was a shock it was genuinely a shock particularly for people in the Conservative

[00:19:13] Party. So on the Wednesday morning the buzz started that something was happening.

[00:19:19] I actually thought there was going to be a reshuffle of his ministers.

[00:19:23] I went in actually to Prime Minister's question time because I have a bit of time I'm going

[00:19:27] to go in and see what's been said here. He said in response to the SNP leader's question

[00:19:34] about the timing of the elections it will be in the second half of this year

[00:19:39] and I don't think anybody expected that to be July. So it has been a shock for a lot

[00:19:46] of people and you've seen the number of people that have decided they're not running

[00:19:50] for elections. The biggest I think ever. It's a record in the Tory party and the Conservative

[00:19:55] party in particular. A huge number of people deciding not to run again which leaves a real

[00:20:03] problem because constituency associations have to find candidates within a very very short

[00:20:08] period of time. They don't have time to vet them, they don't have time to get to know

[00:20:13] their new candidates and then they're supposed to go out and canvas for them and ask people

[00:20:17] for their votes. So it's a difficult time for a lot of individual politicians in terms of the

[00:20:23] macro picture, the bigger picture. I think most people, most commentators polling are saying that

[00:20:31] it's going to be a Labour government that we will have after July the 4th. I think the big

[00:20:37] question is not will we have a Labour government but how big will the majority be? I think

[00:20:42] that's a really interesting question because Labour has to win big in Scotland if they're

[00:20:49] going to have any sort of a workable majority and I think the way things are looking at

[00:20:56] the moment they will probably get that. Yeah it looks like that, it looks like that indeed.

[00:21:02] But I'll go through another question but before that was there another, why would he call it in

[00:21:09] July? I mean in June or now was there something brewing or there was too many

[00:21:15] factions within the party and he just, and he didn't think that the economy is going to

[00:21:20] go any further than the inflation coming to normal? Yeah I think that inflation coming down

[00:21:26] as low as it did was the trigger for him and I think he felt because inflation's at this level

[00:21:32] now and going to go to a country. I certainly thought he was going to wait to November,

[00:21:37] I thought that he would wait to that time because then maybe the issue around immigration,

[00:21:44] illegal immigration would have settled, there would have been flights out to Rwanda

[00:21:50] and things would have moved on but he obviously thought you know what I'm taking such a battery,

[00:21:56] is it better to go now? You know it's going to get worse if I keep staying in office for

[00:22:02] this time and so it was a balancing act for him and I think he just came down on the side

[00:22:07] of right I'm going to go now in the summer. It's easier for candidates to be out in the

[00:22:12] summer, there's no doubt about that. A November election and I fought a November election

[00:22:18] can be miserable because you're going to see those doors in sleet and heel, they don't want

[00:22:25] to open the doors, they don't want to see you and you're feeling miserable because you're out

[00:22:30] in the weather so I think July from the candidates point of view of getting out and

[00:22:35] about is probably better but it was a shock. Yeah indeed it was. Now

[00:22:43] how do you think Labour government, if it does which it looks like coming at the helm will

[00:22:51] change if anything the relationship if at all with India because it's not been in good waters

[00:22:57] late especially with the diaspora with Jeremy Corbyn's Kashmir comment. So overall what do

[00:23:06] you think? Well I think as you know there are many British Indians who support the Labour Party

[00:23:13] and they will want to make their voices heard within the Labour Party. I think they will want

[00:23:18] to set out their stall and I think the Shadow Chancellor is doing that today on the economy.

[00:23:24] They want to send out a message that they can be trusted with the economy, that they're not

[00:23:28] going to trash the economy but they're playing a very interesting balancing act because on the

[00:23:35] one hand you had Keir Starmer out yesterday talking about he was a socialist, he believed in

[00:23:40] socialism and then today we have Rachel Reeves out talking about the economy and how the Labour

[00:23:46] Party is going to grow the economy. So it's a balancing act for them at the minute they need

[00:23:50] to keep their core vote content because as you know there's been a little bit of

[00:23:57] turbulence there over Gaza and Israel and they've lost some of the Muslim vote has gone

[00:24:05] to independence instead so that's something I think to watch in some of those seats

[00:24:10] where there is a significant minority there of Muslim voters but I think that they will want

[00:24:16] to say to people we are serious about the economy and therefore I am hopeful that they

[00:24:21] will pick up the trade deal again. It would be a disaster if they didn't do that. I think

[00:24:26] it would send out a very bad message if they didn't pick that up after the election.

[00:24:33] I'm sure they would and because Britain needs it in fact. Coming to you

[00:24:41] Baroness, you've been the First Minister of Northern Britain twice, am I right?

[00:24:48] Yes twice that's right. 2016 and then during that awful period of Covid in 2020-2021

[00:24:58] which is difficult to think back on actually. It's almost like a nasty dream that we all had

[00:25:06] back in 2020-2021 but yes that's the time I was First Minister. Sometimes I can't believe when

[00:25:12] I go out that there was not a soul on the road. It was a very strange time. I live off the

[00:25:24] main Belfast Road in Northern Ireland and cars up and down it all the time and I could stand on

[00:25:31] that road in the middle of the road for minutes without a car coming during that first lockdown

[00:25:37] which of course was the most intense period when everybody was really afraid and it was

[00:25:43] a horrendous time. Yes indeed. You sailed through it and you're the only woman who has

[00:25:50] been in Northern Ireland as the First Minister. What is it like to be

[00:25:57] a woman in politics and completely leading it from the front? So I was the first female

[00:26:04] First Minister but now there's a First and Deputy First Minister female in Northern Ireland

[00:26:09] now as well so pleased about that and see that continuing. I consider myself to be probably

[00:26:16] in the transition generation transitioning from all male politicians and I was looking at a

[00:26:22] photograph of the opening of a road in the 1970s just yesterday and all of the people in

[00:26:27] the photograph were men. Not one single woman was in that photograph and now I'm pleased to say

[00:26:34] that there are a number of very high-profile women in Northern Ireland politics and there's

[00:26:39] more young women coming forward as well so that's really good to see and I think that's

[00:26:43] been a change in society here and you see it across the UK you see more women coming

[00:26:49] to the fore which is really good but I mean in my lifetime when I was growing up in the 70s

[00:26:56] men were the politicians and as I say for me to get involved in politics and to become

[00:27:02] the First Minister of Northern Ireland was quite something and I'll always be incredibly

[00:27:08] proud of the fact that I was the first female to hold that job and it was a wonderful

[00:27:12] privilege to do it as well. You know I saw your Twitter Baroness Froster and you have the first

[00:27:18] thing you have mother of three yeah and you did this all the way through I mean seriously and

[00:27:24] and if I was to just describe myself the first thing that comes in my mind is mother.

[00:27:32] How was it like being a mother and the First Minister to the nation as well?

[00:27:37] Well you know it's interesting you say that because my children have been such a blessing as

[00:27:44] they are I mean obviously we all have our moments totally with our children but they've been

[00:27:48] such a blessing because they really grind you in who you are don't they because

[00:27:53] you're always going to be their mum you know you're not always going to be the First

[00:27:57] Minister, you're not always going to be a politician, you're not always going to be

[00:28:00] whatever you're doing as a job at that particular point in time but you're always

[00:28:03] going to be a mum yeah and that's why it's important for me even when I was First Minister

[00:28:09] myself always knew that if my children rang and they needed me I would take the call regardless

[00:28:15] of who I was meeting at that time because they would have been important.

[00:28:19] Please give spill some beans has it happened where you were being let's say a Prime Minister

[00:28:25] President and then your child wins? I do remember my middle child he's now 22

[00:28:32] I was on a visit to South Africa and we were moving about between meetings and I get a call

[00:28:38] from George and I said oh my goodness what's wrong and I answered the call and the question

[00:28:42] was where is my rugby kit mum I can't find my rugby kits where is it? I go George I'm in South

[00:28:49] Africa it was funny but I said ask your father. Would the father know?

[00:28:57] Yeah well that's a good point probably not but hopefully he would know where to look

[00:29:02] yeah no the kids have been wonderful I think all women who work, all women who are high

[00:29:08] profile have a part of them feels guilt because they feel you know am I not spending enough

[00:29:17] time with my children am I not I'm away from them but you know they've had such

[00:29:21] wonderful opportunities as a result of me being First Minister they've met politicians from all

[00:29:27] over the place as young children and I'm really thankful that they're three pretty sensible

[00:29:35] pretty down-to-earth kids and I'm really grateful for that. So you know when I sometimes

[00:29:42] I've had to take my children for interviews including when I interviewed David Cameron

[00:29:47] actually my children were sitting outside on the side yeah very young do they recognize this or

[00:29:54] this or they see this as what I mean was do they recognize this as an opportunity that they had

[00:30:01] had to meet these politicians or they just feel oh mum was just lugging us around yeah

[00:30:08] I think at the time they don't really realize but now I know when they look back and look

[00:30:13] photographs and my daughter with Boris Johnson or you know just whatever that they will realize

[00:30:19] as they get older that it was pretty significant the mum brought me into a meeting and Nancy

[00:30:25] Pelosi was there and she said hi you know and I mean things like that you know now yes

[00:30:30] now I went later on when they're growing up but at the time they were probably going

[00:30:34] I could be at home watching tv or on my xbox or whatever. How have you shaped them? Do you think they have

[00:30:42] shaped them differently in any way and I'm just sitting seeing hope because my children

[00:30:47] are still growing up and going out with me now. Yeah no I think it has obviously you don't have

[00:30:55] that sliding door moment where mum wasn't a politician and she wasn't a first minister

[00:31:00] or whatever but I'm really we worked hard at first of all keeping them out of the public eye

[00:31:06] and having them a very normal childhood apart from the times when they went with mum to different

[00:31:12] places and I think that was important because they need to understand that mum's job is a job

[00:31:19] and they need to go to school and they need to have a life and play rugby and do all of the

[00:31:24] ordinary things so my husband has been a wonderful support as well and I think that's

[00:31:29] always important that your partner's there to help in these times. So important, so important

[00:31:35] indeed. What does a woman's energy bring to a post like the one that you were on or Margaret

[00:31:44] Thatcher was? What does that energy do the world because often we hear that we need more

[00:31:52] feminine energy to bring this world together that is falling apart almost. Do you agree?

[00:31:58] Well I do think that we do multitasking better, I mean there is no doubt about that.

[00:32:10] One of my favourite photographs of Margaret Thatcher is her in the kitchen

[00:32:14] cooking a meal for her two children actually when she's prime minister so I mean you know

[00:32:20] we do all the ordinary things but we also do the things that we have to do at the same time

[00:32:24] and I think that grounds you, I think it makes you realise yes you're holding down this powerful

[00:32:31] job but you're also in touch with all of the things that everybody else has to do so

[00:32:35] when people used to say to me child care is a real problem I'd say yeah I know that because

[00:32:41] I have to balance and make sure that I have child care in place if I'm late

[00:32:47] my dear late mother-in-law goodness what would I have done without her was always there for me

[00:32:53] you know always lifted the kids if I was going to be late or I had a circle of really strong

[00:32:58] friends who could step in as well and I think because of that women have to think ahead what

[00:33:04] if I'm going to be late what if x happens so you're thinking ahead all of the time and I

[00:33:11] think that is a good skill to have. Oh brilliant so thinking ahead now actually

[00:33:19] you would have a section called high five India and I would be giving you a high five in the end

[00:33:26] and that would be a reward. It's five rapid fire questions I'll ask quickly because the time is

[00:33:33] running out so are you ready? Yes I think so. Okay India for you in one word? Colour. Okay

[00:33:51] What is it about India that the world doesn't get?

[00:33:56] I think they don't get how dynamic it is and how you can see photographs of India and that's

[00:34:04] what you think India is but then you could see something that completely is different and

[00:34:10] that is also India so India is such a breadth of experience I think. Okay what is it that

[00:34:19] a woman politician brings to the table that a man cannot? I think the multitasking piece I think

[00:34:26] that is something that we bring to the table because we do it every day and we don't think

[00:34:31] about it but then when it comes to politics it becomes really useful tool when you're thinking

[00:34:36] about different things at different times. Okay if you could meet any historical figure

[00:34:43] or take the place of any historical figure you can choose who would it be and why?

[00:34:51] I always say that Margaret Thatcher had a huge influence in my life because she became prime

[00:34:56] minister when I was just eight years old and she was there right throughout my teenage years

[00:35:02] and therefore had an impact on me as a woman could be prime minister but I never got to meet

[00:35:10] her and I really regret that and I would have loved to have met her and to just have a

[00:35:14] conversation with her. If you wouldn't have been a politician what would you be?

[00:35:20] Well I started life as a lawyer so probably would have stayed

[00:35:24] at being a lawyer if I hadn't been. I did want to be a police officer but my father said no.

[00:35:30] That was a wonderful high five. Thank you thank you. Thank you so very much

[00:35:38] Baroness Foster. It's been an absolute pleasure speaking to you every time it is when I speak

[00:35:44] to you and thank you so very much for being on India a story in the making. Thank you,

[00:35:50] look forward to speaking again. Thank you. It's such a privilege to bring these conversations

[00:35:56] to you on India a story in the making a show that is consistently doing well and can do

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[00:36:42] Thank you take care and God bless. Listen to my podcast audio on Apple,

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