A Foreign Secretaryand this applies also to a prospective Foreign Secretaryis always faced with this cruel dilemma. Nothing he can say can do very much good, and almost anything he may say may do a great deal of harm. Anything he says that is not obvious is dangerous; whatever is not trite is risky. He is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion.

The only quality needed for an MP is the ability to write a good letter.

If people want a sense of purpose they should get it from their archbishop. They should certainly not get it from their politicians.

A Foreign Secretaryand this applies also to a prospective Foreign Secretaryis always faced with this cruel dilemma. Nothing he can say can do very much good, and almost anything he may say may do a great deal of harm. Anything he says that is not obvious is dangerous; whatever is not trite is risky. He is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion.

Too many people live too much in the past. The past must be a springboard, not a sofa.

There might be 1 finger on the trigger, but there will be 15 fingers on the safety catch.

Britain's most useful role is somewhere between bee and dinosaur.