Hello, I'm Mark Carruthers and my guest today is someone who's credited with having had a significant

influence over the politics of Northern Ireland, even though his time as Secretary of State ran to

just over six months. He's a former Conservative Chief Whip, who was a loyal supporter of two

Prime Ministers, Theresa May and Rishie Sunak, though his relationship with another, Boris Johnson,

was less straightforward. Maybe he'll be persuaded to shed a bit of light on that relationship

in the course of this conversation. Sir Julian Smith, welcome to Red Lines.

Thanks, ma'am. We'll come on to Mr Johnson later, perhaps, and what you made of his decision to sack you in February 2020 from a job you clearly loved.

But let's just start with your childhood in Scotland.

You grew up in a village not far from Sterling.

So while you went to sixth form college in Somerset, studied at the University of Birmingham,

and represent a constituency in Yorkshire

in the House of Commons, you're actually Scottish.

100% Mark.

I have English parents, but I was born in Scotland, grew up in Scotland, and regularly returned

to the village of Fintry, which is near Loughlomond, about 500 people, and where, you know,

I've got strong roots and will continue to go back for the rest of my life. An amazing community

there. And as they used to say, out of the world and into fintry.

And if your listeners haven't been, I'd recommend going.

And was that an idyllic childhood?

It was absolutely.

It was a village primary school.

My mum was a peripatetic music teacher,

...