Of all the public services, education is the one I'm most interested in. You get a more dynamic economy, you deal with most social problems, and it's morally right.

You also want to look at how the tax system encourages and rewards pension saving. I have set as an ambition reversing the effects of Gordon Brown's tax raid which heralded the beginning of the age of responsibility. We are looking at some very specific tax measures on how we can encourage saving.

Our first benchmark is to cut the deficit more quickly to safeguard Britain’s credit rating. I know that we are taking a political gamble to set this up as a measure of success. Protecting the credit rating will not be easy The pace of fiscal consolidation will be co-ordinated with monetary policy. And we will protect Britain's credit rating and international reputation.

I reject absolutely the idea that people should know their place, and know their class.

I believe that I'm entitled to regard my pre-political life as off-limits in terms of what can be looked at and judged.

The foundations of a strong economy don't rest alone on the decisions of Chancellors or the spending programmes of government.

Even a China growing at 7% or indeed less is still adding to the world economy an economy equivalent to the UK or more.