I was greatly saddened to hear of the death of a British soldier on duty in Iraq. As always, my thoughts are with the family and the families of those injured in this appalling act of violence.
The terrible effects of the earthquake, and the human tragedy that has resulted, have resulted in a major international assistance effort and I am confident that our responsive and valuable assets will contribute a great deal to that relief effort,
flattered that a number of people have approached him or mentioned to him that he would be a great candidate one day, down the line.
There is a great deal of urgency about this. I think it is the most important thing on the agenda in Iraq, which is to respond to the efforts of the terrorists to divide by terrorism by uniting through democracy.
Nato today faces greater threats to its long-term future than it ever did at the height of the Cold War. Now is the time to replace immobile armies with more flexible, rapid response forces.
This is a great success for the Royal Navy, ... (It) has dealt a sledgehammer blow to the drug traffickers.
When we've been bold on the Bank of England, on PFI, on great constitutional change, on the New Deal, we've been most successful. So what we have to continue to try and do is to battle with ideas and find new ways of applying those values as the world changes.
I want to make sure if our armed forces are going to play a greater role in the world than previously that we give them the welfare, the numbers and the equipment that they need.
Opening ourselves up to a far greater degree of competition in Europe will ensure in the long run a far more efficient industry, which in turn means far more value for money.