It's lovely to be old. I've got age, experience and zero personal ambition. No body could corrupt me by anything: possibly a job in the government, a peerage, a quango, I don't want any of it.

Encouragement is the most important thing in the world for young people, rather than league tables, which demoralise everyone.

The people who have sacrificed their view in order to get to the top have very often left no footprints in the sands of time.

My alternative to American superpower is the UN and I might add when China becomes the worlds greatest superpower you will need it too.

I think the truth is that the Labour Party isn't believed any more because people suspect it will say anything to get votes. The rebuilding of some radical alternatives to Thatcherism - and by that I mean all-party Thatcherism - will require us to do some very difficult things

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

We used to have a War Office, but now we have a Ministry of Defence, nuclear bombs are now described as deterrents, innocent civilians killed in war are now described as collateral damage and military incompetence leading to US bombers killing British soldiers is cosily described as friendly fire. Those who are in favour of peace are described as mavericks and troublemakers, whereas the real militants are those who want the war.