Whenever you analyse anyone who has had any success and they're in the headlines, you will find they are human and make mistakes. I'm certainly that and I've made a lot of mistakes.

I'm vulgar, I'm a populist. But isn't that what the mayor should be?

Some people standby you in your darkest hour while others walk away; only a select few march towards you and become even closer friends.

I feel I have had a very interesting life, but I am rather hoping there is still more to come. I still haven't captained the England cricket team, or sung at Carnegie Hall!

I'm not taking any interest in politics. I'm not involved in politics in any way. My life is in writing now.

When I was deputy chairman I could travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh without leaving Tory land. In a two-week period I covered every constituency in which we had an MP. There were 14. Now we have only one. We appear to have given up.

When I was three, I wanted to be four. When I was four, I wanted to be prime minister.