You will soon find that I am a bit obsessive about my work. And that is a little sad one often feels strangely restricted not finding time to simmer although one actually has many interests.

In parallel with the development of my interests in technical gadgetry I began to acquire a profound love of and respect for the natural world which motivates my scientific thinking to this day.

We are more thoroughly an enlightened people with respect to our political interests than perhaps any other under heaven. Every man among us reads and is so easy in his circumstances as to have leisure for conversations of improvement and for acquiring information.

The restriction of religion to private life therefore does not necessarily threaten the vital interests of the majority religion if there is one and it protects minority religions from tyranny of the majority.

The first and most important is to emphasize the enduring nature of the alliance relationship particularly with Europe which does share our values and interests even if it disagrees with us on specific policies.

I think every relationship has a point where you stop and reevaluate. Are you happy? Have you grown together or apart? What do you share interests in? I think that's a normal thing to do but it's so much harder when it's done publicly.

We believe in a flexible union of free member states who share treaties and institutions and pursue together the ideal of co-operation to represent and promote the values of European civilisation in the world advance our shared interests by using our collective power to open markets and to build a strong economic base across the whole of Europe.

The 'anti-globalisation movement' is the most significant proponent of globalisation - but in the interests of people not concentrations of state-private power.

I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I believe that the free Iraq is in this nation's interests. I believe a free Afghanistan is in this nation's interest.

There is this concept of politics as a dirty game. It's a difficult game but it doesn't have to be dirty. I think this is what we need to bring to politics. I think politics around the world has very often been captured by big interests - 'lobbies' they call them in the States.

I ask you: turn a deaf ear to the special interests. Let politics stand down for a while. don't waste anytime thinking about future elections until we've done our jobs here.

I met my wife Anne who was a sociology student and her influence together with activities associated with the student movement of the time opened up my interests amongst other things into the theatre art music politics and philosophy.

I don't take a great deal of interest in party politics. Social politics interests me a great deal more.

We tend to think of politics as bad full of dirty tricks negative ads big campaigns but I am here to explore the original meaning of politics which is positive and has to do with balancing competing interests and looking for solutions.

The precise point at which a tax deduction becomes a 'loophole' or a tax incentive becomes a 'subsidy for special interests' is one of the great mysteries of politics.

Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests. The right reason is to challenge the status quo to serve the common good and to leave this nation better than we found it.

Because politics rests on an irreducible measure of coercion it can never become a perfect realm of perfect love and justice.