A little nonsense now and then is not a bad thing - where would we politicians be if we were not allowed to talk it sometimes.

The Prime Minister, shortly after she came into office, received a sobriquet as the 'Iron Lady'. It arose in the context of remarks which she made about defence against the Soviet Union and its allies; but there was no reason to suppose that the Right Honourable Lady did not welcome and, indeed, take pride in that description. In the next week or two this House, the nation and the Right Honourable Lady herself, will learn of what metal she is made.

Paisley has been and remains a greater threat to the Union than the Foreign Office and the Provisional IRA rolled into one.

History is littered with the wars which everybody knew would never happen.

I am the last person whom it would be reasonable to expect to leave the Conservative Party.

In the end, the Labour party could cease to represent labour. Stranger historic ironies have happened than that.

Of all political sacred-cows, education is the most sacred and the most cow-like.