Pop goes the politics as former MP Alan Johnson talks about his love of music

The former MP was talking about his latest Memoir In My Life to host Peter Guttridge at Scarborough Library.

Taking its title from a Beatles song, it is the story of Johnson's life in music.

Always good value for money, Johnson made us laugh as he recited a self-penning pop song about acne and moved us with a memory about his mother and her love of True Love from High Society.

This was nostalgia and stand up played to an audience eager to be led down memory lane to a time when coffee was frothy, Scooters were THE mode of transport, the highest of technology was a jukebox and the Beatles topped the charts.

There were discussions about Dylan, Beatles versus the Stones and how Lonnie Donegan inspired Johnson - whose biggest wish still is to appear on Top of the Pops - to play the guitar.

Of course, he was not getting away without questions about his politics - and in true politician style he brushed them aside and turned the talk back to the subject he was interested in - pop music.