Obviously it is right that the Afghans take responsibility for their own future in the end, but they need to know and feel that we are there as partners for them if they are prepared to make the necessary changes. But we should be in no doubt as to why we are in Afghanistan. We ended up there because terrorism hatched there erupted thousands of miles away in New York on Sept. 11.

Saddam was a threat, that the threat had to be dealt with.

If you're interested in politics and you're not following it, then it's a little bizarre.

We are all internationalists now, whether we like it or not...

People know where I stand in the Labour party and what I believe in.

Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education and education.

My view is that we're entering into a situation of enormous instability, insecurity, fragility.