Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A Tory politician who became leader of the Conservative Party and Her Majesty's Opposition, known for his quiet determination and military background.
On the island
Eight records
National Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Richard Bonynge)
But my mother, her early years, were in ballet. She danced for the Anglo-Polish. She went on tour during the war to dance for the troops. And it was there in Naples, dancing at the Royal Opera House, that afterwards she met my father... So it it it reminds me of my mother, her phenomenal strength, um and uh just their meeting, really, I suppose.
Requiem: BenedictusFavourite
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Sir Colin Davis)
Well this is um from Mozart's Requiem, the Benedictus, because we played it at my father's memorial service and the reason we played it was the tunefulness of Mozart was something that he always loved and the way that the voices just twine together and and go up and up and up uh it just gave me a a memory of his great days in the skies and so I thought it worked in both contexts.
My sister, and I this will remind me very much of my brothers and sisters and our family life, but my sister who lives in Italy, sister Susan, she went out to Italy and was working with, I think it was RCA at that time... and they asked her to write some lyrics. And then later on they asked her to write some more, and she did, and then they asked her to sing on one of them, and then she sang, and then she found that her song went quite high up in the charts in France and Germany... And this is one of her songs, and it reminds me of everything about my family and my sister.
Cheryl Barker with the Philharmonia Orchestra (conducted by Yves Abel)
This one particularly has uh fine memories for me. It reminds me a little bit of the period when I was out of work because uh I used to listen a lot to this and other opera. Um it also a little bit reminder of my my past and my family background.
Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer
This song, She is for my wife, Betsy, because um I think anyone listening to it who is close to somebody will recognise that uh most of the words, the lyrics here, have huge meaning and they are very much about my life with Betsy, so it's for her.
Well, this is uh a Bruce Springsteen record for two reasons. One is that experience which I'm afraid has shaped all our lives uh the September eleventh tragedy. And the second thing was, two days later I became the leader of the Conservative Party. It also happens to be my wedding anniversary, September the eleventh, so a lot in there, but uh memories and also enjoyment.
Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer
The reason I got this is because it does remind me of my children for one major reason, which is that uh I had this tape in the car a long time ago and uh one of my children looking for another tape stuck it on and um it was on Great Balls of Fire and uh they all loved it and they started singing along to it and so it just reminds me of driving down the road with the car some swaying from one side to the other whilst everybody was engaged in singing Jerry Lee Lewis's Great Balls of Fire.
Well, this one is purely gratuitous, I mean in the sense that it's it's a song by Nina Simone. I'd love to have this just simply for the pleasure of indulging myself. I think she's got a voice which uh frankly does send shivers up down my spine every time I hear it.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:30How surprised were you, just over a year ago, to find yourself leader [of the Conservative Party]?
I went away uh after William had decided to step down that morning... And I went away and the first thing I did was I sat down with my wife and I said, uh I guess I have to make a decision. Do I go for this or do I simply say I'll just wait and see whoever gets it? And it was really at that moment saying, W could I live with myself if I had not thrown my hat in the ring and said I do believe that I can take this party in the right direction and make sure that we get elected.
Presenter asks
2:03What were the qualities that you felt you had that made you think you could do it and should stand?
Well, I've been in tough situations. I've seen a certain amount of hardship and certainly moments when leadership has to be exercised. And I don't mean to be arrogant at all, but I just felt that I've got that experience, and I think that was what was necessary. I think the key thing for the party most of all was to get for itself a clear sense of direction, get that course that it must steer, and then stick to it.
Presenter asks
2:38How much is [your leadership style] informed by your father, who talked to you a lot about his kind of leadership?
The keepsakes
The book
Lawrence Durrell
Having read it some gosh twenty years ago, I just recall that it was just about the most complete book that I'd ever read. Every book challenges you, poses a surprise for you, so I could read it again and again and again and find things in it which I hadn't found before.
The luxury
I enjoy painting in oils and uh uh that would be a luxury for me and I'd certainly spend a lot of time doing the thing that I haven't been able to do for quite a long time.
Hugely, uh, in a sense. We're all uh influenced by our parents, and the more you love them, the more you're influenced by them. And his sort of leadership was calm. Measured and invariably determined. I mean, the one thing I got from him was that when my father said that he was going to do something, you knew pretty well that he was going to do it.
Presenter asks
4:21Did you have to defy [your father] when you decided to go into politics?
I would be a a liar if I was to say that he wasn't disappointed by the idea of me entering into politics. Not in a in a bad sense. His ju his view was that the people that did things were the people that either worked or, you know, were in the army or went into difficult situations and led. H his view about politicians generally was that there was too much mess and compromise.
Presenter asks
12:33Apparently, you've identified [your time in Rhodesia] as the point at which you decided politics were for you. How so, why?
Well, it was the first time I'd really come face to face with the effect of politics... I watched the negotiations even whilst we were in what is now Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia, trying to keep the ceasefire going when there were huge reasons and huge tensions growing round it. And on two occasions, literally within minutes, it could have exploded and we'd have lost lots of lives. And I saw people showing great bravery and dedication to making this happen. And it was during that period that I realized, actually, politics really does matter.
Presenter asks
15:25How did [being made redundant] happen?
Well, I I left uh where I was working with GC to take up a job as a director of a property company... And then finally one day I was the deputy managing director who said to me, I'm terribly sorry, but um you'll have to pack your bags and go. And I must say it has a huge shocking effect uh on you. You know, for a period you you feel as though, frankly, you failed. But this is where my wife was fantastic, really. We just set about Getting back into work again
“Politics and the military run parallel. The difference is nobody dies in politics, but you know, the same sense of uh slowing down the advance of a government uh and then being able to counter attack them, take them when they're unawares.”
“It's helped me, I think, since then to understand that when politicians say it's just a shakeout, it's not. It's people's whole lives, their ambitions, their hopes, it's their pride. It's all of that.”
“I think the Conservative Party has been facing crises all its political life. But the thing about the Conservative Party, which is why it survives and goes on to regain power, is that we are a party that recognise that change is part of who we are.”