Ed Miliband’s Desert Island Discs choices

Today Ed Miliband is on Desert Island Discs – so what has he picked? Here are the 8 tracks, in no particular order:

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – South African National Anthem

Jerusalem

The Ballad of Joe Hill – Paul Robeson

Take on Me – A-Ha

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond

Angels – Robbie Williams

Change of time – Josh Ritter

Je ne regrette rien – Edith Piaf

And of course, no Desert Island Discs episode would be complete without the luxury item and the book choice:

Luxury – Chicken Tikka Masala

Book – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Update: And here’s Editor Mark Ferguson’s snap review of the show:

“Well no-one can say that Ed Miliband focus-grouped his choices or that they were chosen by advisers. I’m not sure that much slightly naff cheese would have made it onto the final list if any adviser had power of veto over it.

Still, if honesty and authenticity is the order of the day, then Ed passed the test that was set him.

He is something of a nerd, it’s true. His musical taste is, to put it lightly, not the best. But more importantly he spoke honestly and thoughtfully throughout the interview – in particular when talking about his family. The sections discussing his still not yet healed relationship with his brother will get most attention, but those discussing his relationship with his father were perhaps more interesting still.

America too holds an important place in his heart – where he spent time with his father and where his brother now lives. And of course, America is the home of his beloved Boston Red Sox – the very mention of them elicited more excitement in this interview than all of the songs put together. Although it was odd that having chosen The Ballad of Joe Hill by Paul Robeson there was no discussion of the very clear politics around that song.

What we learned today is that there’s not going to be any real effort to “spin” Ed Miliband. He is what he is – a self-confessed square who wears naff jumpers, didn’t have great success with women until his early twenties and fell in love at Live8. But more importantly that that, he’s a decent, thoughtful man. And at a time when tough decisions need to be made – isn’t decent and thoughtful what we need?”