I'm convinced there's a small room in the attic of the Foreign Office where future diplomats are taught to stammer.

There is no question but that if Jesus Christ, or a great prophet from another religion, were to come back today, he would find it virtually impossible to convince anyone of his credentials despite the fact that the vast evangelical machine on American television is predicated on His imminent return among us sinners.

The stupidity of a stupid man is exercised in a restricted field; the stupidity of an intelligent man has a much wider diffusion, and a far greater effect, aided as it is by the element of surprise.

I have three daughters and I find as a result I played King Lear almost without rehearsal.

People are annoyed with the Chinese for not respecting more human rights. But with a population that size it's very difficult to have the same attitude to human rights.

I'm convinced there's a small room in the attic of the Foreign Office where future diplomats are taught to stammer.

Sex is a conversation carried out by another means.