Former Secretary of State Lord Peter Hain’s remarkable life was forged in crisis. 

His parents’ peaceful but determined activism against apartheid – and the drama that surrounded his family as a result – was the backdrop to Peter’s upbringing in...

Former Secretary of State Lord Peter Hain’s remarkable life was forged in crisis. His parents’ peaceful but determined activism against apartheid – and the drama that surrounded his family as a result – was the backdrop to Peter’s upbringing in South Africa. The Hains were constantly harassed – and at one stage jailed by the South African security services. When a close family friend was convicted and executed for the bombing of a railway station – an attack which his family condemned – it was Peter, aged just 15, who spoke at the funeral. Peter’s parents moved to the UK in 1966 … exiled from the country they loved. He joined the British anti-apartheid movement and aged just 19 became the Chairman of the infamous Stop the 70 Tour which organised direct action against South Africa’s proposed cricket tour of England. A major success for the anti-apartheid movement. Peter’s campaigning led to him being followed and bugged by Mi5, receiving death threats and becoming the subject of an assassination attempt. A life in British politics beckoned for Peter … but not before more extraordinary drama and crisis. As a Labour politician he held office as Welsh Secretary, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Northern Ireland Secretary, playing a key role in negotiating the power sharing settlement in 2007. His time in politics also brought more personal crisis – a donations scandal that he described as a ‘soul searing experience’ Now in the Lords, Peter continues to campaign and as an author he’s written 29 books including biographies of Mandela, his own brilliant biography A Pretoria Boy and a series of novels focused on the crisis of animal conservation. The latest, The Elephant Conspiracy (see link below) has just been released. A fascinating conversation with someone who has lived, breathed and experienced crisis from so many different angles. Links: Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: <a href="https://ampl.ink/qp6bm" target="_blank">https://ampl.ink/qp6bm</a> Some Velvet Morning Website: <a href="http://www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk" target="_blank">www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk</a> Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682</a> Buy Peter’s latest book, The Elephant Conspiracy: Volume 2 – <a href="https://amzn.eu/d/cT3wtPu" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elephant-Conspiracy-Peter-Hain/dp/1739966058 </a> Also read his earlier book, A Pretoria Boy: The Story of South Africa's 'Public Enemy Number One' – <a href="https://amzn.eu/d/9HmTJDA" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pretoria-Boy-Africas-Public-Number/dp/1785787632 </a> Host – Andy Coulson CWC production team: Louise Difford and Jane Sankey With special thanks to Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – <a href="http://coulsonpartners.com" target="_blank">podcast@coulsonpartners.com</a>

77. Lord Hain on growing up in crisis, letterbombs and a Kafka-esque plot