Yes, I do talk to my trees. I did say to one 'You'd better smarten yourself up or you'll be gone' and the next year, well, you've never seen such a mass of flowers.

I always knew that Neil Kinnock belonged in the economic nursery. Now, God help us we've got twins.

It is the only time that I can ever remember the Prime Minister reading out the conclusions of a meeting that did not take place. They were already written before it started.

There are those who never stretch out the hand for fear it will be bitten. But those who never stretch out the hand will never feel it clasped in friendship.

You can imagine the sign outside Tory central office. Shop closed - out to lunch.

I can foresee no circumstance in which I would allow my name to be put forward for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

I keep telling my Tory colleagues: don't have any policies. A manifesto that has policies alienates people. In 1979 the manifesto said nothing which was brilliant.