I can hardly think of an occasion when I've got into a stand-up fight with any political opponent. I've got my views, people know what they are, they can agree or they can choose to disagree. I'm not going to waste time just rubbishing everybody else.

There is no satisfaction to be derived from having had many of our arguments borne out by events.

I think that former leaders are best seen occasionally and not too often heard - particularly on the subject of their successors!

Politics is much too serious to be taken too seriously; equally, there are many aspects of it so laughable as to be lamentable.

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

Courage is a peculiar kind of fear.

Actually, I think it's quite sensible not to take yourself too seriously.