Political reporters no longer get to decide what's news. The days when a minister gave briefings to a dozen lobby correspondents, and thereby dictated the next day's headlines, are over. Now, a thousand bloggers decide for themselves what is interesting. If enough of them are tickled then, bingo, you're news.

Europe tends to favor stability over democracy, America democracy over stability.

The next Euro-elections will be a step towards a United States of Europe

You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt.

The most dangerous diminutions of freedom come from those who are convinced of their moral rectitude.

You cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit.

I am not the Conservative Party's health care spokesman. I'm fond of Andrew Lansley, and I strongly support David Cameron as party leader.