There is no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: Defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.

But as I always say to people I'm essentially a public service person.

The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons, as opposed to the capability to develop them, has turned out to be wrong. I acknowledge that and accept it. I simply point out, such evidence was agreed by the whole international community, not least because Saddam had used such weapons against his own people and neighbouring countries.

One of the things that I've been doing over the past few years is reevaluating my own powers of political analysis.

One of the most important things in politics is you've got to keep your mind infinitely curious and alive to what is happening differently.

NATO's got a vital role to play. It's very important that we protect NATO.

I mean, I went to a church school when I was younger and imbibed a certain amount of religion then but it was really in university that I got interested in religion and politics at the same time. I don't think as if it were one moment of conversion but my spiritual journey really began then.