As MPs return to parliament after the Easter break, the prime minister is once again having to field constant questions about when the nations will go to the polls. Rishi Sunak remains adamant that a general election will happen in the “second half of the year” but political pundits and experts believe an election could occur as early as June – a few weeks after we cast our votes in the local elections.

As we potentially gear up for election season we’re putting our own questions to MPs to shed some much-needed light on who they are and, more importantly, what they stand for.

Our next MP for Answer The Question is Victoria Atkins, the Conservative MP and secretary of state for health and social care. She has served as an MP for Louth and Horncastle since 2015 and has served as a minister in the Home Office as well as the Ministry of Justice and the Treasury.

Here, Stylist speaks to the secretary of state about her career, the last lie she told and how the prime minister helps to keep her and the cabinet sharp and focused.

What’s the most pressing issue for women right now, and what are you doing about it?

“Last year, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the NHS. I think it’s a system that was created by men for men. So, as a female health secretary, I am determined to build the NHS of the future. I’ve prioritised women’s health and maternity services as part of that because there is so much more we can do to support women’s health. This includes our Women’s Health Strategy, which involves rolling out women’s health hubs across England to provide women with the services that they need in a timely manner.

We’re also focusing on health conditions such as endometriosis and rarer forms of breast cancer that haven’t had the same level of research behind them. There’s a lot going on, but I’m determined as health secretary to make those changes for us all.”

What’s the one thing you want to achieve in your role?

“I’ve said to the prime minister that I want to make our NHS and social care system faster, simpler and fairer. And what that means to me is looking at areas such as the disparities in maternity. We know that Black women are up to four times more likely to suffer harm during childbirth. I want to gather the evidence so that we can help bridge the gap on those inequalities and disparities.

I also want people to feel listened to within the NHS. So, I’ll be bringing forward GP health checks for new mums within six to eight weeks of giving birth so that mothers are asked ‘Are you OK? Is everything all right?’ as well as the focus on the baby. I’ve listened carefully to families who have felt at points as though they haven’t been listened to when their loved ones have deteriorating health conditions. In particular, there was the case of 13-year-old Martha Mills and her parents, who felt they weren’t listened to by medical professionals, which is why Martha’s Rule has now been introduced in the NHS.”

What’s been your most memorable day in politics so far?

“I worked as a Home Office minister for four and a half years and I spent three of those years working on the Domestic Abuse Act. It was three years of hard but important work to help protect the millions of adult victims of domestic abuse, as well as the children involved in those relationships. There was a lot of cross-party working, and I’m proud that we were able to pass that piece of legislation into law because it’s having a real impact on victims of the most heinous of crimes across the country.”

How do people react when you tell them you’re a politician?

“People actually tend to be very nice. They can sometimes be a little bit surprised when they see me and they understand that I’m the secretary of state for health and social care. Perhaps because they have a certain idea or image of what secretaries of state should look like, but people can be incredibly warm. 

One of the greatest parts of being both an MP and cabinet minister is when a person stops you in the street to say thank you. Whether it’s because I’ve been able to help a constituent with a personal issue or, as a minister, I’ve been able to introduce a law or policy that helped them. You don’t ask for it or go looking for it, but it’s a really special moment when it does happen.”

Do you have a constituent in mind when you’re standing up representing them in parliament?

“I’ve got an amazing constituent called Chris, whose husband very sadly was diagnosed with early onset dementia. She found it really difficult to get all the information together that she needed after the diagnosis so, she set up a charity called Bob’s Brainwaves where she collates all the advice and guidance into one central place to help families and carers in those early days after the initial diagnosis.

I’ve been so inspired by Chris, and by Bob’s Brainwaves, that I want to set up a one-stop shop for families and carers who find themselves in those difficult days after diagnosis to give them the advice they need all in one place. They shouldn’t have to go searching for this information because they have so many other things to be worried about, and finding the right forms or resources shouldn’t be one of them.”

What piece of criticism as a politician has stuck in your mind?

“I take the view that most people come into politics for the right reasons: they come in to do good things for their local community and their country. So, when some of my opponents try to somehow accuse me of somehow not caring or having ulterior motives, I find that very difficult. Because the truth is we may have different ideas about how to achieve things, but the overall goal is the same.”

What was the last lie you told?

“I hope he isn’t reading this, but last night, I may have told my 12-year-old that we had run out of Easter eggs.”

How do you keep your brain sharp?

“As health secretary, I would encourage everyone to exercise and one of the ways that I try to do that is by walking my very beautiful whippet, Bob. But I also have the great pleasure of working with very bright people and that definitely keeps me sharp. And of course, the prime minister is incredibly intelligent, and believe me, he puts us through our paces.”

Why should a voter trust you?

“I’ve spent my entire career working in public service. Before I came into politics, I worked as a criminal barrister and one of my earliest cases was representing a 12-year-old boy (who I call Billy) who was in court for the first time and completely alone. He had no adult with him. So, I asked him where his parents were, and he said that he’s never known his dad and that his mum was probably drunk by now. At that point, you could see his life chances fluttering away because the moment he gets a criminal conviction, so many opportunities would close on him.

I vowed at that point that one day I’d like to help children like Billy, and fast-forward many years, I joined the Ministry of Justice as a minister for youth justice. I was able to bring together the funding and policies to create a scheme to help intervene in the lives of young people like Billy, to support them in realising their opportunities rather than falling into a life of crime. So, I hope that commitment, that promise years ago would lead people to believe that if I say I’m going to do something, I will throw everything I possibly can at delivering it.”

What would make you walk away from politics?

“There is so much to do! I want to ensure that the ambitions I’ve set for the NHS and for social care are met, and so, subject to my constituents of course, I very much want to be working to keep those promises and to deliver the results that voters expect.”

What keeps you awake at night?

“I’m responsible for a department that has a budget that’s almost as large as the economy of Greece. The NHS looks after 1.3 million people a day. So, the size of that system means I’m constantly thinking about how to improve the quality and timeliness of care and making decisions every day. But behind every decision, I have the drive and focus on ensuring that the plans we’ve already laid out are delivered.

“Every single day, I’m thinking about how we can ensure that we’re delivering an NHS that’s faster, simpler and fairer for us all.”

Answer The Question is Stylist’s home for all things voting and elections. In the series, we sit down with MPs from across the political spectrum to get to the heart of who they are and, more importantly, why we should trust them with our vote.

Image: Conservative party