You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel both a sense of responsibility and a deep sadness for those who have lost their lives.

I'm an avowed centrist, and I believe that - centrism is often - it's almost the wrong word to use, because it's often seen as sort of splitting the difference between right and left.

Those who wish to cause religious conflict are small in number but often manage to dominate the headline.

Education is the best economic policy there is.

When my parents were growing up the world's population was under three billion. During my children's lifetime, it is likely to exceed nine billion. You don't need to be an expert to realise that sustainable development is going to become the greatest challenge we face this century

The money from Iraqi oil will be yours - it will no longer be used by Saddam Hussein for his own benefit.

The first rule in politics is that there are no rules, at least not in the sense of inevitable defeats or inevitable victories. If you have the right policy and the right strategy, you always have a chance of winning. Without them, you can lose no matter how certain the victory seems.