Cicero smiled at us. 'The art of life is to deal with problems as they arise, rather than destory one's spirit by worrying about them too far in advance. Especially tonight.

The natural impulse of men is to follow and whoever has the strongest sense of purpose will always dominate.

Everyone thinks politics will just go on the way it is. I don't agree.

Does a name stick because it suits a man or does the man, unconsciously, evolve into his name?

To be brave, by definition, one has first to be afraid.

In a way I'm almost more rueful about the notion of having a non-ideological Labour party than I am about the personality of Tony Blair.

Politics? Boring? Politics is history on the wing! What other sphere of human activity calls forth all that is most noble in men's souls, and all that is most base? Or has such excitement? Or more vividly exposes our strengths and weaknesses? Boring? You might as well say that life itself is boring!