Hello, I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive

for rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The program was originally broadcast

in 1992 and the presenter was Sue Lolley.

My cast away this week is a politician. His background and childhood are well known,

indeed his humble origins are part of the reason why just over a year ago he was elected leader

of his party. His characteristics are familiar too. He appears self-effacing but he must be ambitious.

His manner is always pleasant but clearly he must be tough. He claims to stand for a country

that's classless. He wants the nation he says to be at ease with itself. We shall soon know if

the people support his views. Before the summer is over he will have won or lost a general election.

On this the 50th anniversary of Desert Island Discs my cast away is a man not yet 50 himself,

the Prime Minister John Major. You entered the House of Commons just as Mrs. Thatcher was

becoming Prime Minister in 1979. I wonder what you'd have said if anyone had told you then that

you were going to succeed her. I'd have thought it was a pretty unlikely prospect and I guess most

other people would have made the same judgment. But you always had your eye I think on the

chance leadership really didn't you if you'd been pressed that was what you wanted.

Well it's a fascinating job yes I did. But tell me about you and ambition I mean you were

briefly foreign secretary as well and now your Prime Minister and yet you are as I said in

the introduction they're self-effacing in the main but there must be ambition beneath the surface.

I'm not overtly ambitious. I don't forever plan to what my next job is going to be I've never

done that. I certainly perhaps have a streak of stubbornness if people think I can't do something

then I will say well perhaps I'd like to do it. And you've had a determination to get on.

I think lots of people have it perhaps I have a determination and but I've had the luck as well.

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