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Great Lives

Mervyn King on Risto Ryti

Great Lives

BBC

History, Documentary, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.21.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2015

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England tells Matthew Parris why the life of the Prime Minister of Finland Risto Ryti was so remarkable. They are also joined by expert and biographer Martti Turtola. Producer: Perminder Khatkar. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult?

0:06.0

What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are?

0:10.0

I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti. I saw a footprint and that really gave me gusmas.

0:16.4

Or people who knew me. Emme, I remember every secret, every lie. I'm the only one who knows the truth.

0:23.0

Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003.

0:27.0

Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:29.0

Great Lives is a download from Radio 4.

0:32.0

We hope you enjoy what you're about to hear.

0:36.3

A tale of two governors. One is Mervyn King, Lord King of Lothbury,

0:41.1

the former governor of the Bank of England. The other served as governor of the Bank of Finland, and also as that country's President and Prime Minister.

0:50.0

Risto Rorty, Lord King's choice of great life, fought for an independent Finland and kept his country so.

0:58.0

But when World War II ended, he was convicted on charges of war guilt and imprisoned for 10 years hard labour.

1:05.0

Roti for decades was almost a forgotten figure,

1:08.0

but when we asked Mervyn King to pick his great life,

1:12.0

he came back immediately to us with this man, a man I'd never heard

1:15.3

of, but I've read around the topic and he grows in my own mind as a really, really big life.

1:21.4

Lord King wrote,

1:23.0

The reasons for my choice are that the events in which he was involved are

1:27.0

unknown to most of us, but also until recently to most Finns.

1:31.0

He sacrificed himself for his country in a way that few political leaders

1:36.1

ever do. Lord King, he's someone you obviously feel strongly about and you're right. He is someone most of us probably know very little about.

1:45.6

So tell us briefly how you think he sacrificed himself for his country.

...

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