There is no connection between imperialism and democracy. I mean when we ran an Empire which we did when I was born, there was no democracy anywhere.

I met somebody once who said, "I'm a lapsed-atheist" by what he meant was, "I don't believe in God but the older I get the more I realise there is a spirituality in everybody that has to be cherished and nourished." That made a lot of sense to me.

The one thing that is absolutely essential is that there shouldn't be any governmental control [of the media] directly or indirectly.

Undoubtedly the war with Iraq was a tragedy. I think it was also a crime.

Someone comes every morning at nine o'clock to see if I am still alive. I do get lonely, yes, but I have the children who come and see me. I see all my children every week, and there are the grandchildren, too.

An MP is the only job where you have 70,000 employers, and only one employee.

I believe the more difficult the circumstances, the more people will be inclined to trust those in charge at the moment.