One of the great barriers to peace in the Middle East is that both sides, both Israel and the Palestinians, do not understand that they share a collective destiny.

The advent of interconnectedness and of weapons of mass destruction means that, increasingly, I share a destiny with my enemy.

It's not my job to be popular. I'm goal-driven; my job is to get results.

Politics is about putting yourself in a state of grace.

Maybe it's legitimate criticism, though it can be hurtful. Maybe I haven't paid sufficient attention to the people with whom I would have a natural affinity as a liberal, and they feel let down by that.

The multinational corporations now developing budgets often bigger than medium-sized countries — these live in a global space which is largely unregulated, not subject to the rule of law, and in which people may act free of constraint.

What my future will not be is active politics in the Liberal Democrat party.