He set about making Parting Shots for BBC Radio 4, after reading a column by Matthew Parris about valedictory despatches in The Times. As well as producing the series, Andrew researched the material - a contrast to his day job behind the scenes as a producer on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and Radio 5 Live, and occasionally in front of the microphone. Matthew Parris is a columnist for The Times for whom he was previously a parliamentary sketchwriter. He was a Conservative MP from 1979 until 1986, and once worked for the Foreign Office. He says that it was after reading one of these valedictory addresses that he decided to give up his career there. His highly acclaimed autobiography Chance Witness was published by Penguin.