Hello, I'm Kirstie Young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of Desert Island Disks from BBC Radio 4.

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Radio 4. My customers. My castaway this week is the right honourable Theresa May MP, the longest serving

home secretary in 50 years. For those who think her political lineage seems directly descended from the

Iron Lady, Theresa May's metal has certainly been stress tested in the past few weeks. She's

apologized in Parliament for having failed twice to appoint a suitable head to lead the historical child abuse inquiry.

A minister in her department resigned, claiming working with her had been like walking through mud.

Then the controversy over the non-vote

on the European arrest warrant and to top it all off news this week that one in five

crimes go unrecorded. Just as well then that she has a reputation as a woman who knows her own mind and is willing to speak it.

She famously said the Conservatives were perceived as the nasty party.

Her excruciating speech to the Police Federation

dealt head-on with long-term corruption and incompetence in their ranks and was

received with stunned silence.

And at this year's Tory Party conference she bravely chose a passage from the

Quran to make a point about tackling extremism.

So, unflinching, resilient, driven, and if a recent poll is to be believed a very popular choice among conservative voters to be the next PM.

She has so far remained tight-lipped on any ambition to lead her party. She says, I think you have to believe

in what you are doing. That's key. If you do believe you're doing the right thing, that gives

you resilience. So welcome Theresa Made. The workload of

any minister of course is substantial, but by all accounts to be the Home Secretary

...