Mr Neil has developed a reputation as the BBC’s fearless, flagship interviewer. Just over the last year, he has quizzed candidates in both the Conservative and the Labour leadership races, as well as most of the party leaders in the run-up to the December general election. With a career spanning several decades, Mr Neil worked in print before he moved into broadcasting.

He was the editor of The Sunday Times between 1983 and 1994 and has been credited with giving the paper a shake-up.

However, he caused a real stir with print workers in London in 1986 when The Sunday Times moved its print production to a plant in Wapping, along with other newspapers under Rupert Murdoch’s umbrella company News International.

The new facilities in Wapping meant all the workers were dismissed as modern computer facilities meant the company no longer need them. A 13-month strike followed.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in 2007, Mr Neil explained how he coped during that turbulent time where he endured repeated threats to his life.

He said: “The atmosphere was very threatening.

“I was surrounded by two large men who followed me everywhere for next 13 months.

“And I had a special driver who was trained to reverse at 60mph. He was a former French paratrooper.

“Life became very different… There were regular personal threats against me and there were times when I thought my life was in danger.”

He continued: “There was one time when I saw fear in my bodyguard’s eyes…We thought they were going to break in.

“We thought – due to the weight of people – we thought the police lines were going to buckle.

“And we knew if they did, we would be killed. As simple as that.

“There would be a mob rampage.

“But I was genuinely, genuinely in fear of my life.”

Interview Kirsty Young asked: “Were there ever times when you thought, ‘actually it’s not worth it – I know I”m right, but it’s not worth it’?”

He said: “No, but there were times when I felt it was very gruelling. The strike was going on and on and on, I couldn’t move anywhere.”

He explained how he had to go home via a different route every evening too.

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When he did eventually reach his residence, he would have to spend half an hour in the car while his house was searched, in case any intruders was waiting inside.

When questioned on his thoughts for those dismissed employers, Mr Neil said: “I did spare a thought for [the strikers], but it would be hypocritical to say that I felt really sorry for them, because I didn’t.

“They have taken the decision and they had to live with the consequences of it.

“They could have come to Wapping and when we eventually went, we didn’t go offering starvation wages and a non-unionised workforce.

“Our workforce was unionised and we paid the highest wages in the land.”

He said he knew his side had won when they managed to get the paper out still.

The strike failed and is said to have increased support for Margaret Thatcher, and assist with reducing the powers of the trade unions.

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