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

“The most pressing issues are the ones that impact my life and my teenage daughter’s life. Firstly, issues around safety and security. So, I’m really pleased that the Conservatives have done so much work in dealing with domestic violence, especially understanding the damaging effects of coercive control – economic, physical and mental – and how this abuse is moving into the online world.

“The second is providing opportunities for women who are balancing a lot of things in their lives and making sure that they’re provided with the best opportunities for well-paid work – regardless of their gender. I used to be the industry minister responsible for bringing investment into the country, ensuring jobs were being created across industries (including aviation, engineering and technology) and opening doors for women to access these opportunities.

“And finally, it’s access to healthcare. I have an elderly mum who has particular health needs, so I’ve seen how much we need a health system that can provide the services needed. I’m really pleased to see all the work that’s being done on maternity services but also on women’s health such as menopause.”

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

“I’ve split this into three themes: domestic, national and international. For my constituency, it’s about doing everything I can to get as many resources into the area as possible, to make life for my constituents even better. Whether it’s infrastructure funding or getting more broadband coverage, I’m making sure as much investment and resources are flowing into the area.

“On a national level, it’s about dealing with the topics that impacted me growing up: how do we ensure we provide the best level of education? I’m the first girl in my family to go to school; my mother and grandmother didn’t get that opportunity. Women need these opportunities to be economically independent and make the choices we need. Education and job opportunities are vital in the work I do.

“Internationally, economic security and safety have been particularly important, especially when it comes to upholding democracy. A lot of my political career has involved looking at how democracy can be undermined by hostile states and ideologies, and what we can do as a nation to fight this and strengthen our defences. This work led me to becoming the only female MP to be sanctioned by both China and Russia.”

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

“There have been quite a few! Early on as a backbencher, I raised a case of domestic violence and coercive control, outlining how we need to manage and support victims through giving evidence and the trial process. We had families in the audience in parliament that day, so it was emotional and it’s a big burden that you carry taking that forward. When I was on a select committee, we did an inquiry into the Post Office scandal a long time before the recent coverage. I have constituents who are caught up in that as well as people affected by the infected blood scandal, so a lot of these stories stay in your mind.

“I must say, however, waking up in the middle of the night and being told that you’ve been sanctioned by the Chinese government and coming into work knowing your work was on their radar was quite extraordinary.”

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

“In many different ways. I often think people don’t expect a politician to come across or look like me. I suppose many people still expect politicians to be male and definitely don’t expect them to be Asian. And if they know I’m Muslim, that’s rare as well.

“A lot of the feedback I tend to get is that I’m very normal, which I’m pleased to hear because MPs are normal and experience similar challenges to others. We’re trying to achieve the same thing. Unfortunately, politics gets a bad rap, but a lot of the politicians I know have gone into this job because they wanted to deliver a level of public service they thought wasn’t being provided. So, being called normal is always a treat.”

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

“There are so many. I’ll shortly be meeting with a phenomenal woman who oversees a carer kinship group in my constituency. When we’re talking about issues around social care, I always have her in mind. If I’m raising a question or concern on behalf of the farming community, I have a constituent called Peter in mind. I know exactly what he would be saying in my ear to try to get things right. There’s also a fantastic man called Richard, who works in supporting a local birthing unit, so when I’m trying to get more resources into local healthcare, I know exactly what he would be saying. There are lots of amazing people across the constituency and those are the people who matter and who I’m trying to serve in my work.”

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

“Occasionally, when some people have nothing left to say, the idea that I don’t ‘look’ like I come from my constituency is referenced. This annoys me because it’s clearly based on my race and ethnicity. I wish people like that would be open about their racism instead of disguising it behind niceties. I’d rather someone was honest about it so I know where I stand with them.

“I’m probably my own biggest critic. There’s nothing worse than when you’ve tried to secure some funding or a policy change and it hasn’t gone your way because of external circumstances. I always think about what I could have done differently for a better outcome.”

What was the last lie you told?

“I’m lying by saying ‘I think I remember’ because I know exactly what and when it was: that I’m using my gym membership regularly. And that when I do go to the gym, I actually work out properly.”

How do you keep your brain sharp?

“I read a lot. I try to expand my reading outside the domestic and read about what’s happening around the world – from issues around security to the explosion of AI. I’ve been lucky to meet some fun and fantastic people locally, and I end up learning so much from them and reading about their work and projects. I’ve never stopped learning. I’ve always had a voracious appetite to read, especially as my mother was illiterate and my father was blind, so I used to read a lot for them too.”

Why should a voter trust you?

“There’s no doubt that trust in politics is low. I’d ask voters to look at the characters of the people standing and look at what they’ve stood for, defended and delivered. I could’ve been bullied and pushed down when I was sanctioned, but I don’t back down to bullies and the work I’m doing in that space is going to matter for generations to come. I also stand up for local issues: even when they’re difficult, I stand by them.

“For example, when I was on the home affairs select committee, we did a lot of work on bringing forward cases of survivors that took place some time ago. I ended up working with Barnardo’s because they wanted to explore child sexual abuse when the perpetrators were children themselves. I worked with them in a space where nobody else wanted to come forward and do that work. We have to have faith in politicians because we have to have faith in the democratic process.”

What would make you walk away from politics?

“The reality is I have thought about walking away, especially when the safety of my family has been threatened. It makes you think about how to properly ensure your loved ones are safe, and there have been moments when that’s been incredibly difficult to balance. It’s one thing for my safety to be threatened, but when it’s your family, it’s extremely difficult.

“When I was elected in 2015, I was our party’s first female Muslim MP and then went on to become the first female Muslim minister. I had no idea that was going to rub people up the wrong way and elicit such an angry response. It’s extraordinary how much hate is spewed out by some people, and it does make you stop and think.”

What keeps you awake at night?

“Like a lot of people, my parents are elderly, their health isn’t great and they live across the country. I’m always busy as an MP and minister, so I never get to spend enough time with them. I’m always anxious that I’m going to get a call one day to say that their health has deteriorated. I also have a teenage daughter who is currently doing her A-levels, so you naturally worry about them and want them to succeed and do really well.

“At the moment, it’s mostly the snap election and being keen to get out and about as much as possible, so here’s to hoping for good weather over the next few weeks.”

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.

“My political career has led me to being sanctioned by international governments”: Nusrat Ghani on the importance of the democratic process