Jack Straw MP introduces his new memoirs, Last Man Standing: Memoirs of a Political Survivor. As a small boy in Epping Forest, Jack Straw could never have imagined that one day he would become Britain’s Lord Chancellor. As one of five children of divorced parents, he was bright enough to get a scholarship to a direct-grant school, but spent his holidays as a plumbers’ mate for his uncles to bring in some much-needed extra income. His memoirs offer a unique insight into the complex, sometimes self-serving but always fascinating world of British politics.

Recorded on Sunday 28 October 2012 at Durham Book Festival. For more information about the festival, see www.durhambookfestival.com.