Tucker is now working with the government on an ongoing basis, after she was named a “future voice” by the Prime Minister ahead of its Plan for Change announcement. She said her meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “less directive” than the previous meetings she had, and saw her discussing her future involvement with its New Media Unit.
Tucker said: “It was a mix of business owners, content creators, entrepreneurs, and some people they would call experts in their field. There was no one else from the property industry present.
“They advised us that previously they would have built relationships with UK press, but they recognised the changing ways of the media world, and so they have created the New Media Unit, working with the new media – which is us – in a different way.”
She is part of a group of people who have been given direct access to Downing Street, to gather feedback on what each of their respective peers want to know more about, what can be done and whether it lines up with the government’s mission.
Tucker said one of her focuses was childcare, and she told the government she stood for working parents and working women, adding that “the cost of childcare means flexible working is essential, but that’s still very difficult”.
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Tucker has also suggested working with the state on plans for the mortgage and housing sectors, such as reviewing its work to build one-and-a-half million homes, including looking at the areas it wants to deliver properties in.
“I would love to visit these sites to be able to show people the progress behind the scenes, as I know lots of work is going into this, but the data may tell you otherwise,” she added.
A big responsibility
Tucker said it felt “amazing” to have this relationship with the government, but it was also a huge responsibility.
To prepare herself, she met with the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries’ (AMI’s) CEO Stephanie Charman and told her: “I really want to make sure I am really well-educated in what our industry wants and what advisers feel they need.”
Tucker added: “There are always going to be conflicting opinions, but I would like to be in a space where I’m at least hearing those opinions outside of my role as the CEO of The Mortgage Mum.
“I am taking it very seriously, and I want to be connected to the people whose job it is to listen to the advisers, which is Stephanie and her team.”
Tucker said the task was “so much bigger than our industry”, and because she was not politically driven, she had the ability to consider different angles.
She also said she could look at situations through the lens of an adviser, a business owner, a client, a lender and a mother in a working family.
“I have three children of my own, we are affected by the things that happen. I’m a business owner; I’m personally affected by policies. I feel like I can come with a multitude of lenses, which is exactly what I said to Rachel Reeves,” she added.
Tucker said she was also trusted and a trustworthy person who sought to fully understand whatever or whoever she was representing.
“On the one hand, I’m intimidated, but on the other hand, I do know how I work, and I know I’ll give it 100% and take it seriously,” she added.
Balancing with the day job
When asked how she manages to balance the different demands in her life right now, she likened her involvement with the government, TV appearances and running a business to when she was on The Voice.
“I never had more on my plate than when I was on that show… and raising my kids – I didn’t have nearly as much childcare then –and trying to be a broker and launch The Mortgage Mum”, Tucker said.
She said her responsibilities motivated her and fuelled her to work harder, as her battery was being charged by the work she was doing, rather than drained.
As for what was next for her business, Tucker said she was building a leadership team within The Mortgage Mum to prepare for the future, saying “my aspirations have always been what’s happening now”.
She added: “I always saw myself creating and leading The Mortgage Mum, but, ultimately, I saw there would be opportunities for women to help in leadership and create roles and opportunities within The Mortgage Mum, which is only a good thing.”
Tucker said she would not neglect her firm, saying everything she does will benefit the business.
The pros and cons of being a public figure
When asked how she handled criticism in the public eye, Tucker said this recently happened following some advice she had given on This Morning. She dealt with it by checking whether she said anything wrong, looking at the situation from an objective lens and considering what might cause people to react in a certain way.
She said it was also important to “have the right people around me [and have] resilience”.
When asked if it was good that she could provide an alternative point of view to the likes of Martin Lewis, Tucker said she respected him enormously but there was room for someone else to join him in talking about some of these topics, particularly if it meant championing women.
“We need a range of voices, man and woman,” Tucker added, saying she had an audience someone like Lewis could not reach, in the same way his audience probably would not listen to her.
Ultimately, Tucker said she wanted people to know she was still a neutral voice and not a Labour spokesperson or political figure.
“The whole reason I’m there is because I’m representing a voice they don’t have in the room,” she added.
