A rat race is for rats! — Kenny MacAskill MP on Jimmy Reid's Inaugural Address as Rector of Glasgow University, 1972

Speakola

A speech described by The New York Times in the days after delivery as 'the greatest speech since Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address'. Jimmy Reid's speech was reprinted in full and praised around the world.

In this episode, Jimmy Reid biographer and Westminster MP Kenny MacAskill (member for East Lothian in Scotland since 2019) talks about this famous speech, as well as 'no bevvying' shipyard address, and Reid's life and achievements as a worker advocate, politician, union leader, and media commentator. There are snippets of speeches from Jimmy Reid's funeral, which included eulogies from Billy Connelly and Sir Alec Ferguson.

Kenny MacAskill reads a full version of the Glasgow University speech as speech of the week, because no full audio version exists.

MacAskill's biography, 'Jimmy Reid: A Scottish Political journey' is excellent.

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