I've gone through that with my mother and father and here I was in a similar situation. I've wronged her and I've wronged the family. Because when these things happen, it doesn't just happen to you, it happens to the people around you and the family.

If you look at Newcastle or Gateshead, even over twenty years, even with the previous administration, it has moved quite remarkably in transforming itself.

I don't get a fair whack, I don't pursue vendettas or punch people on the nose.

Because of the security reasons for one thing and, second, my wife doesn't like to have her hair blown about. Have you got another silly question?

What we are beginning to witness is a whole new set of rules for economics, based on rationing resources.

He made an enormous contribution to British politics in opposition and in government [on Robin Cook]

There's no excuse, it's just an opportunity that presented in a limited way and that happened and as soon as the press rang me I didn't deny it I just said 'that's it' and I had to go home and explain it.