The political health of Britain has deteriorated very sharply. The Conservative Party must do something about it. I am the man to do it.

I am getting frustrated by the fact that we have been out of office for eight years. I desperately want to lead the Conservative Party to make quicker progress back into power.

I look forward to the day when the Westminster Parliament is just a council chamber in Europe

Of course I'd have loved to be Prime Minister. But I'm not nursing a grievance.

I am certainly not a blogger. Quite a large proportion of them are nuts and extremists - with the honourable exception of the culture secretary.

I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as a party you do have to face up to some painful facts and you do have to change.

It would be immoral to walk away from the consequences of our actions, leaving behind anarchy and civil war in Iraq.