I loathe and detest all this trivialisation of politics.

I have opened newspapers and read incredible lies.

I am not against Israel, I am against Zionists.

I became a councillor back in 1971, so if by this stage in politics I'm making lots of big mistakes, then I shouldn't be here.

When I was leader of the GLC, by the time I had been in control for three years, the difference in pay between the cleaner and the director general was a four-to-one ratio. I find that attractive.

Well, on lots of small things we could have done better, but on all the big things we called it right. You should make less mistakes as you get older, and I became a councillor back in 1971, so if by this stage in politics I'm making lots of big mistakes, then I shouldn't be here.

I've always been a workaholic. I reckon, on average, I've had less than one day a year off in my working career.