Hello, I'm Kirstie Young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of Desert Island Disks from BBC Radio 4.

For rights reasons, the music choices are shorter than in the radio broadcast.

For more information about the program, please visit BBC.co.uk.

Radio 4. My castaway this week is the first minister of Scotland, Alex Samund,

leader of the Scottish National Party, he's regarded as a canny operator, admired for his political nouse and debating skills.

His goal is Scottish independence.

He first led his party 20 years ago and even as a primary school boy he stood for the

S&P in a classroom election. Back then however it was because they were the only

party left to choose but we Alex Salmon showed early political promise by winning on a ticket of half days for all

and replacing the school milk with ice cream. Later still it was a lover's tiff with an English

girlfriend that spurred him on to take up the

nationalist cause for good.

He says, it may not have been the most auspicious and organized beginning to a political career,

but I'd like to think that at least it did display a degree of enthusiasm and fortitude.

Alex Hammond, you've been described by one commentator as half-booley, half-charmer.

Do you think that's the sort of balance you need to be a successful man in politics?

Well no she'll surely more charmer than bully. I think politics you do in a combination of things and

I think charm is more essential than bullying.

It's difficult for those of us on the outside of politics to understand why

politicians love it so much. What does it do for you where's the thrill? Well there's

a lot of thrill in the in the game you know I think most politicians certainly

good politicians like the game you know they like the chase they like

...