Hello, in this programme I'm talking face to face with someone whose political journey has taken her from her native Northern Ireland via three decades as an inner city London MP to a seat in the House of Lords.

She began that career decidedly on the political left. She opposed internment without trial and was a member of the international Marxist group at one stage, but clearly moved to the

right as the years passed. Today, she's a committed Brexiteer and defender of Northern Ireland's

place in the Union. Kate Hoey, Baroness Hoey, welcome to Red Lines. Thank you. Do you accept that

on the face of it, that looks like a remarkable political journey for one lifetime.

I think it happens to a lot of people, actually, not quite the same, but I think, you know,

I was 18, 19 when I was involved in left-wing politics, and now I'm 77. So I'm, I think,

in those years, you do tend to change your views.

But I think my principles stayed the same.

And, you know, when I was supportive of the Anti-Internment League and involved with things to do with Northern Ireland,

it was all about wanting really everybody in Northern Ireland to be equal and to be treated the same.

And I felt that when I joined the Labour Party.

And then gradually you move.

You realise some of the more idealistic ideas that you have.

Yeah, it's interesting.

Do you think you've been a little bit misunderstood, misrepresented?

Because I was reading a lot of newspaper articles in the run-up to this conversation.

And quite a few people assert that you were supportive of a United Ireland in your younger days.

But you're saying that's not strictly true.

I mean, I think, I used to think quite a lot about it when I was involved with student politics again.

But I've never felt, I've always tried to understand why people wanted a United Ireland and of course the history and what happened.

But I've never ever felt that that was how I would like to live.

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