I want to see far more decisions taken far closer to the patients, the passengers and the pupils. Far more power for locally and regionally elected politicians who understand best the needs of their areas. And far more say too for the dedicated staff at all levels in health and education.

I should do something about the cigarettes; I quite accept that it's bad for your health, but you know a moderate tipple is positively beneficial and, at certain times, absolutely essential.

Three simple words - freedom, justice and honesty. These sum up what the Liberal Democrats stand for.

For any new leader of any party at any given time it takes time if you are not in government to establish yourself.

We should have high expectations of our children, but politicians should not tell teachers how to meet them.

You won't catch Liberal Democrats describing trade unionists as wreckers.

I am genuinely not an over-the-top kind of person about politics or anything else.