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Hello.
For the next few Sundays, newscast is experimenting with, as we call them in the trade, long form interviews or what you and I would call a big long chat with somebody interesting.
Today's episode is with Lord Byrd, John Bird, who in 1991 set up the big issue which is still being sold by homeless people on the streets of the UK today.
And in 2015 he was made a so called people's peer.
In other words, he was selected from interesting people to get a seat in the House of Lords.
And he is an interesting person.
A very colorful backstory that involves stints in prison and growing up in poverty.
And poverty is kind of what he's made his life's mission.
And for years and years he's been trying to convince governments of all sorts of different political stripes that they should set up a big anti poverty initiative because he feels that is the biggest challenge facing the country and that's how you could change people's lives.
So that is what you will hear and a whole lot more in this episode of Lord Bird.
On newscast.
Newscast.
Newscast from the BBC.
Lord Bird, hello.
Hello.
How do you feel about being called Lord?
First of all, I have no problem with it because it surprisingly in the political field I have to work in.
If I was just John Byrd, then people wouldn't kind of talk to you.
And even though most people have reservations about the House of Lords, they know that there are certain people in the House of Lords who are quite useful socially.