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Welcome to Political Thinking. I'm Nick Robinson. Happy New Year. Well, as happy as it can

be given, well you know. In this special edition of the programme, we'll hear from some of

the conversations I've had over the past year. Conversations, not news style interrogations

about what shapes the thinking of those who's political thinking, shapes ours. Conversations

about love and loss, hopes and regrets, the influence of parents and children. Last year

began as this year has, with worrying news of rising infection rates. Daily cases were

at a record high of more than 50,000 a day. Lower, much lower than they are now. But there

was hope, thanks to the vaccines that had just started to be rolled out. Thanks, in no

small part, to the woman who masterminded the purchase of all those jabs, Kate, now

Dame Kate Bingham, the first head of the vaccine test force. When we spoke, she talked of her

pride in what they, she, had achieved. My mum got her appointment through today, 81

year old mother and just delighted that both she plus the millions of people around the

country who have and are shortly going to be vaccinated, is just an amazing, amazing

feeling. Now, you're not a household name. People

didn't know you before you got this job, except in your own world of life sciences,

adventure capitalism. Why you? Did you wonder that when you got the call from Boris Johnson

to chair this new vaccine test force? I absolutely fell off the chair and after I had picked

myself off the floor, also asking that same question. And it took me some time to actually

agree to take on the role. So what an earth convinced you then? He makes the call. Your

country is calling. Your prime minister is calling. What convinces you to do this?

Well, it took 24 hours before I was persuaded myself. I mean, I started off with a classic

...