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Rt Hon Barbara Castle

Sue Lawley's castaway is former Transport Minister Barbara Castle.

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is the Baroness Castle of Blackburn - better known to most people as Barbara Castle. For 34 years she served as the Labour member for the constituency of Blackburn, and she rose to high office in the Wilson governments of the 1960s and 1970s. As the first woman Transport Minister, she introduced, amidst great controversy, the breathalyser and the motorway speed limit. She was also at the centre of legislation over equal pay for women. Then, 10 years ago, she opted out of domestic politics and into the European cauldron.

Now retired from that too, and recently having celebrated her 80th birthday, she'll be looking back over her long and passionate political career, and forward to making her mark on the House of Lords.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: I Have A Dream Speech by Martin Luther King
Book: The collected works by William Morris
Luxury: Typewriter

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 16 Nov 1990 09:05
麻豆社 Radio 4

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Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    He shall feed His flock (from Messiah)

    • Messiah.
    • Columbia.

  • Louis Armstrong

    On The Sunny Side Of The Street

    • The Best of Blues and Jazz.
    • MCA.

  • Fred Astaire

    Cheek To Cheek

    • Top Hat & Shall We Dance.
    • EMI.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No. 3 in E flat major 'Eroica'

    • London Classical Players.
    • EMI.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Martin Luther King, Jr.

      I Have A Dream (speech August 28 1963)

      • In Search of Freedom.
      • Mercury.

  • The Beatles

    Love Me Do

    • Love Me Do.
    • Parlophone.

  • The Laggan

    Bandiera Rossa

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Symphony No. 5 in D major

    • Symphony No 5.
    • RCA.

  • Book Choice

    • The collected works - William Morris

  • Luxury Choice

    • Typewriter

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Rt Hon Barbara Castle

Broadcasts

  • Sun 11 Nov 1990 12:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 16 Nov 1990 09:05
    麻豆社 Radio 4

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