ONE of the last things Alan Milburn did before quitting the Cabinet was appear on a hospital radio show and choose his six favourite songs.

And the Darlington MP and former Health Secretary's choice may give something of an insight into the way he was thinking.

While his decision to leave a demanding job reshaping the National Health Service shocked many, his stint on Auckland Hospital Radio, in Bishop Auckland last Friday, might have given away one or two clues.

For the show, Tracks of My Years, 45-year-old Mr Milburn took a trip back to his youth with six tracks from the 1960s and 1970s.

And when he recorded a message to be broadcast to patients at Christmas, Mr Milburn signed off by referring to himself as "the MP for Darlington" and not Health Secretary.

Organisers suspected he might be in line for a new job in a reshuffle, but had no idea he was thinking of leaving his job to return to the back benches and spend more time with his family.

Father-of-two Mr Milburn's record selections included timeless classics from The Beatles, Elton John and Bob Dylan.

The most recent track was Sense of Purpose, taken from the 1990 album Get Close by The Pretenders. He also chose Where I Do You Go To My Lovely, by Peter Sarstedt, the first record he bought.

Lindsay McElhone, volunteer fundraising and public relations co-ordinator with Auckland Hospital Radio, said: "We approached lots of high-profile people to support our Radio Marathon, a 60-hour live broadcast on July 11 to 13 to celebrate one year broadcasting from the new Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

"We were grateful he contributed with a desert island disc interview and he recorded a Christmas message wishing staff and patients a happy Christmas and New Year - as the MP for Darlington.

"We didn't know it would be one of the last things he would do before stepping down from his post as health minister, nor did we realise the significance of the Christmas message."

Milburn's greatest hits...

SONG: Sense of Purpose. ARTIST: The Pretenders. RELEASE DATE: 1990. CHART NUMBER: album track, from Get Close.

REASON?: Mr Milburn certainly has a sense of purpose now he's quit the Cabinet - to spend more time with his family, and watch his two sons grow up.

SONG: Where Do You Go To My Lovely. ARTIST: Peter Sarstedt. RELEASE DATE: 1969. CHART NUMBER: 1.

REASON?: Was this a question his partner Ruth Briel asked every time he left their £500,000 cottage in Stocksfield, Northumberland, to head for work in London?

SONG: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me). ARTIST: Steve Harley. RELEASE DATE: 1975. CHART NUMBER: 1.

REASON?: Mr Milburn and Dr Briel were certainly smiling yesterday after he came up to see her. The couple looked blissfully happy as they posed for pictures in their garden.

SONG: Daniel. ARTIST: Elton John. RELEASE DATE: 1973. CHART NUMBER: 4.

REASON?: Mr Milburn's six-year-old son is called Danny. At the time of this Elton John release, Mr Milburn would have been 15 and preparing for his O-Levels at Stokesley Comprehensive.

SONG: Forever Young. ARTIST: Bob Dylan. RELEASE DATE: 1974. CHART NUMBER: album track, from Planet Waves.

REASON?: A line from the song goes: "May you have strong foundations." Perhaps a reference to Mr Milburn's controversial plans for foundation hospitals.

SONG: Hey Jude. ARTIST: The Beatles. RELEASE DATE: 1968. CHART NUMBER: 1.

REASON?: The famous Lennon-McCartney lyrics could be rewritten to say: "Hey, Tone, don't feel so sad; But I'm leaving, and here's my letter; Remember, I need a family life too; Then I can start to make it better."