The Labour party has never been a socialist party, although there have always been socialists in it - a bit like Christians in the Church of England.

Britain today is suffering from galloping obsolescence.

I opposed the Suez war, I opposed the Falklands war. I opposed the Libyan bombing and I opposed the Gulf war and I never believed that any of those principled arguments lost a single vote - indeed, I think they gained support though that was not why you did it. What has been lacking in Labour politics over a long period is a principled stand

If you read Mein Kampf, Hitler's book, which I have outside, I bought it when I was eleven, Hitler said, "democracy inevitably leads to Marxism" - now you work that one out. It's so interesting that when the poor have the vote they will use it to remove the privileges of the rich.

I try to operate on two unconnected levels. One on the practical level of action in which I am extremely cautious and conservative. The second is the realm of ideas where I try to be very free

I think democracy is the most revolutionary thing in the world, because if you have power you use it to meet the needs of you and your community.

Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself.