Egyptologists, skilled in piecing together the papyri of lost civilisations, suddenly discovered that the same talent could be applied to working out the pattern of German radio traffic.

Cicero most reminds me of Harold Wilson. Both men knew how to keep the show on the road.

History is too important to be left to the historians.

One cannot see any world leader who has got a grip on the financial markets these days. They're too big, too fast. I think that's quite scary.

You find out what you think by talking to yourself.

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.

Orwell has always been a huge influence on me.