I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.

What? What am I 'bound to be feeling?' People don’t think anymore. They feel. 'How are you feeling? No, I don’t feel comfortable. I’m sorry, we as a group we’re feeling….' One of the great problems of our age is that we are governed by people who care more about feelings than they do about thoughts and ideas. Thoughts and ideas. That interests me. Ask me what I’m thinking.

Whether it is in the United States or in mainland Europe, written constitutions have one great weakness. That is that they contain the potential to have judges take decisions which should properly be made by democratically elected politicians.

The Kosovo campaign was a just and necessary war. And I believe that Blair - of whom I have many criticisms - in this case showed real determination in conducting it.

Any leader has to have a certain amount of steel in them, so I am not that put out being called the Iron Lady.

There are no personal sympathies in politics.

When hecklers stand up, I get a mental jump for joy. It gives me something to get my teeth into - and the audiences love it.