Britain wants the single currency to be a success. It is massively in our interests that we have a stable financial system on our doorstep.

You cannot tackle Britain's debts without tackling the unreformed welfare system.

I didn't come from a traditional Tory background; it was urban and metropolitan.

What's interesting is whilst Shanghai has gone stellar - literally, in these massive buildings which have appeared since I first visited - Beijing has become a much more vibrant and interesting place. A lot more business is done here.

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

There is a big problem. The problem is the country borrowed too much. We went on a borrowing binge, there was a housing boom. You want to help people de-leverage and deal with those debts over time.

The Foreign Office is a very important arm of the British state and I think Britain has a fantastic diplomatic service. We are the only country in the world spending 2% of our national income on defence and 0.7% of our national income on aid. We are the only country in the world doing both of those things.