How did you end up writing for a newspaper? Actually, the late, great Herald features writer Anne Simpson approached me in the 1980s, when I was presenting a daily current affairs programme called Speaking Out. She suggested that with the volume of information I was ploughing through every day, I should find column-writing relatively easy. That started me writing Herald columns - though, an edict from the BBC soon stopped them. Later I left broadcasting permanently to write, campaign and work in papers. I ve no regrets! What’s been the highlight of your career? Career! I don t think I ve been a conscious part of anything that planned. But I suppose winning a Sony Speech Broadcaster Award was a highlight because it was so competitive.