The BBC’s Desert Island Discs has a wonderful archive of most of their past programmes. Charles Kennedy appeared on the show on Sunday 26th October 2003, in conversation with Sue Lawley. It’s a fascinating dialogue, with some very searching questions from Ms Lawley and excellent answers from Charles.

You can listen to the programme on the BBC’s Radio Player here. And here’s what the BBC said about the programme:

Sue Lawley’s castaway this week is the leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy. Born in Inverness, Charles grew up on a croft near Fort William spending his early life learning how to shear sheep and milk cows on his grandfather’s neighbouring farm. Music was always a big part of life with his father playing the fiddle at home and at local events but Charles’s real passion was astronomy. He saved to buy a three-inch refractor telescope from his pocket money inspired by the Apollo Moon Landings and encouraged by the clear Highlands skies.

Politics and current affairs were another early passion. He ran home from school to catch news of the Watergate hearings on television, he was a star of his school’s debating society and one friend recalls how he always dreamed of becoming prime minister. His first political allegiance was to the Labour Party, but at University he switched to the newly formed Social Democratic Party – eventually taking a seat for them in 1983 General Election at the age of 23. Now, 20 years later, following various incarnations of the party, the Liberal Democrats hold a record number of seats in the House of Commons and are hoping to become the main party of opposition in Britain today.

Charles’ favourite track was The Cameron Highlanders by his father, Ian Kennedy.

His favourite book was The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.

And the one luxury he wanted to take to the island was a CD player.

He also said that “when I’m carried out of the church in a box one day this is what I’d like to be played”, as he introduced “Fly me to the moon” by Frank Sinatra.

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.