If you look back historically, admittedly a long time ago, there were three Afghan wars in which Britain didn't even come a good second. In more recent years the Russians were there with 120,000 men for ten years.

Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be too clever by half. The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.

I think we can get respect for Parliament back providing governments and oppositions are frank.

The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and certainly an inadequate and unacceptable argument for regime change.

There are more myths about Black Wednesday than the Greeks ever created.

My father was 64 when I was conceived, my mother 38, which was late for babies in the 1940s.

Political suicide can end a career.