Birth trauma campaigner and Downe House alumna Theo Clarke (DH 2003) has just launched her first book, Breaking the Taboo.

Theo’s powerful memoir describes the traumatic birth of her daughter, when she was rushed into emergency surgery, terrified she was going to die. She shares her own story, alongside the experiences of other parents. With raw emotion, she highlights the taboo surrounding birth trauma that affects 30,000 women in the UK annually.

She also shines a light on what it is like to combine motherhood with a career as an MP, revealing the shocking way new mothers are treated by our political system – something that has serious implications for our democracy.

The release of her fist book follows the success of her podcast series, also called Breaking the Taboo, which became one of the Top 5 most listened to health podcasts on Apple iTunes. Series two is now in the pipeline. Recent episodes include discussions of Matrescencewith author Lucy Jones, post-partum psychosis and some practical advice for fathers who’ve witnessed traumatic births.

All episodes are available to listen to on SpotifyoriTunes.

Theo has been a prominent spokesperson for women since her election in 2019 as MP for Stafford. During her time as MP, and after her traumatic birth to her daughter, she shared her eperience in an emotional debate in the House of Commons in October 2023. Amazed by the public response, she set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma and subsequently chaired the first ever national inquiry into birth trauma. The inquiry heard harrowing evidence from over 1,300 women, exposing the shocking underinvestment in women’s health in the UK. In November 2024, she launched the Global Birth Trauma Alliance, and thanks to her campaigning there is now a cross-party commitment to improve maternity care. 

While in Parliament, Theo served as parliamentary private secretary at the Departments for Education, Business and Trade and HM Treasury, in addition to being trade envoy for the Prime Minister. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list in 2025 and 2024.

In addition to her campaigning on the issue of women's health, Theo Clarke is also Vice Chair of the United Nations Association-UK. She is delighted to join the UNA-UK board to champion multilateralism and the important role that the United Nations plays. She's looking forward to strengthening our relationships both internationally and across the UK and championing the values and philosophy of the UN Charter, as well as advocating for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to be delivered, to ensure peace and prosperity for people and the planet.