Last Word

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Factual: Life Stories

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

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Last Word: Baroness McDonagh, Craig Brown, Godfrey Merlen, Winnie Ewing

Baroness McDonagh, Craig Brown, Godfrey Merlen, Winnie Ewing

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Baroness McDonagh, Craig Brown, Godfrey Merlen, Winnie Ewing

Matthew Bannister on a baroness, a football manager, a conservationist and a politician.

Matthew Bannister on Labour General Secretary Baroness McDonagh, football manager Craig Brown, conservationist Godfrey Merlen and politician Winnie Ewing.

Matthew Bannister on

Baroness McDonagh 

Margaret McDonagh was the youngest person and the first woman to become General Secretary of the Labour Party. She was a key player in the New Labour project that helped the party win a landslide in 1997 and two subsequent terms in office. Margaret McDonagh was born in Mitcham in South London where her mother worked as a psychiatric nurse and her father was a building worker.

Born: 26 June 1961. Died: 24 June 2023. Age: 61

Craig Brown 

Scotland’s longest serving football manager – taking the national team to the Euro 96 finals and the World Cup in 1998. He started his career as a player for Dunkirk and Falkirk before turning to coaching in 1977.

Born: 1 July 1940. Died: 26 June 2023. Age: 82

Godfrey Merlen 

Conservationist and author who devoted much of his life to studying the Galapagos Islands. He lived on the archipelago in the Eastern Pacific for fifty years. The area is noted for its large numbers of unique species which were studied by Chares Darwin and gave rise to his theory of evolution by natural selection. Godfrey Merlen was born in the Cotswolds. After leaving university he worked in the fishing industry and first became concerned about the damage humans were doing to nature.

Died: May 10th, 2022

Winnie Ewing 

One of most high-profile pioneers of the Scottish Independence movement. In the 1960s, the Glasgow criminal lawyer won an unexpected by-election victory which made her the first Scottish National Party MP at Westminster. 

Born: 10 July 1929 Aged: 21 June 2023. Age 93


Producer: Ed Prendeville

Interviewee: Sir Tony Blair  
Interviewee: Pat Nevin  
Interviewee: Noemi d’Ozouville
Interviewee: Christine Grahame

Archive used:
Kinnock takes on Militant - Labour Conference speech 1985 – YouTube 30 October 2020; Winnie Ewing reconvenes Scottish Parliament in 1999, YouTube 12 May 2019.  Winnie Ewing interview after winning the Hamilton By-Election 1967 THE HAMILTON BY-ELECTION 1967, TRIUMPHS AND DISASTERS, Radio 4  05 June 2002.  World at One, Radio 4 03 November 1967. Winnie Ewing didn’t think they’d win, Before you go 19 December 2001. Madame Ecosse, Scottish Digital Library First Broadcast  Mon 13 April 2009;  Craig Brown talking about the kilts worn by the Scottish Tartans in 1998, Mr Brown's Boys, BBC Scotland, First Broadcast  Sat 11 Feb 2023. Brown talking about the team, Craig Brown's 1998 World Cup Diary | Full Behind The Scenes Documentary Film Posted on YouTube 16 March 2020. Brown on his football career, published 2 Sept 2019, YouTube Channel Open Goal; Margaret on Clause 4, Tx 19.09.2014 ; Radio 4. Margaret on hearing Kinnock's speech, Tx 19 September 2014, Radio 4.  Margaret on New Labour's achievement, Tx 19.09.2014 ; Radio 4;  Dr. Godfrey Merlen on Scientific Whaling Versus Cultural Whaling. YouTube published: 9 Aug 2013.  Galapagos Islands of Change, Natural World, BBC 2 NI, first Broadcast Sun 21 May 2017.  In memory of Godfrey Merlen, YouTube, published: 26 May 2023 ; Galapagos Conservation Trust, Galapagos Islands of Change, Natural World, BBC 2 NI, First Broadcast Sun 21 May 2017

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