Geoff Hoon Quotations

I joined the Labour party because I believed in equality, in freedom of speech and in tolerance, compassion and understanding for people, irrespective of their background and views. In whatever I decide to do in the future I will hold to those principles.

Most people are flying to Heathrow because it's a hub, so they can fly on to other places, often long-distance flights. If they can't go on those long-distance flights from Heathrow, they will go to Paris, they will go to Amsterdam, they will go to Frankfurt, because those are viable alternatives.

I have had many Ashfield people say to me that they might not agree with my political views or my decisions but that they supported my right to be heard.

Despite my involvement in difficult and sometimes controversial questions I have received consistent support from the people of Ashfield. They have recognised that it is necessary to take difficult decisions, that newspapers do not always report fairly or accurately.

Ministers regularly meet soldiers that have returned from operational tours to hear about their experiences, including those who have recovered from their injuries.

My role is not to choose between safeguarding the economy and protecting the environment - it's about doing both.

I lived at admiralty house from 2002 until 2006 on advice from special branch on security grounds as defence secretary. The alternative of providing comprehensive security at my personal property would have entailed significant extra costs to the taxpayer.

The Chief Whip's job is trying to make sure that the Government - and MPs elected as part of the governing party - deliver the promises that they were elected on. That's a healthy part of the democratic process.

I think anyone about to leave one job not surprisingly would use their knowledge, their experience, their skills drawn from their previous positions to try and earn a living in the future. That's what happens in all interviews.

I need to maintain a home in Derbyshire and in London to be able both to represent my constituents and to fulfil my responsibilities as an MP and as a minister.

We're investing record sums on buses and trains. We have a huge programme to encourage people to walk and cycle, and everyone up to and including the PM has been looking closely at how we can promote electric vehicles, hybrids, and other technologies.

During the last economic slowdown in the 1990s, the Tories slashed infrastructure investment. I am determined not to make that mistake.

I don't want to be a lobbyist. I want to provide strategic advice to companies. I said both of those things in the course of the interview, and I made clear this is a matter only for after I had become a private citizen and I was no longer a member of parliament.

We are aware of reports that the aircraft may have been shot down, but we are not in a position to come to any conclusions until the investigation is complete,

We want Saddam to accept the will of the international community,

With winter on the horizon, they could fairly claim to have done enough, although we don't want to stop them at all,

We had a very full exchange about relevant issues including the importance ... of controlling infiltration across the line of control that remains a matter of great concern to the United Kingdom and something we strongly emphasized to the government of Pakistan,

On a day to day basis, the Black Watch will of course have to coordinate their activity within the U.S. chain of command in the locality, but any changes in the mission or the tasking would have to be referred back to Gen. Rollo,

Obviously we have seen some excellent work by our police and security services, but that work must continue,

My concern is that if turnout continues to fall requiring people to vote in a democratic election every four or five years does not seem to me to be a major attack on people's civil liberties.

No previous home secretary was in the position to provide this information because no previous home secretary had the information available to him. We have seen a significant reduction in key crime statistics. That is an improvement. It is not sufficient. We want to see more progress.

Obviously analysis continues but I can say straight away that those pictures were not live.

I don't know the answer to your question but I will try and find out.

Full scale of requirement ... yet to be developed.

I emphasize again that this was a military request and has been considered and accepted on operational grounds after a thorough military evaluation by the chiefs of staff,

He is doing a tremendous job in very difficult conditions and he deserves and gets our complete support,

There is excellent cooperation between our two countries in that respect. It's something that obviously we want to build on,

We measured numbers of people and platforms in the Cold War because we were preparing for an essentially attritional campaign, holding back Soviet forces,

I actually think people out in the country are far more aware of the impact of the events of September 11 than some of the people who write in the newspaper are,

I think that one of the things that is often overlooked about the relationship between the prime minister and the chancellor is that these two men worked together every single day when we were in opposition and I can remember being in Gordon's office a lot when I was Treasury whip and they would be constantly on the phone to each other talking all the time,

The armored battle group that will deploy brings important qualities of extensive training, experience and hard-edge combat capability. It is not the case, as is often implied, that there are 130,000 U.S. troops that could take on this task, ... In fact, fewer than a third of U.S. forces in Iraq have the requisite combat capability, and of those even fewer have the armored capability that is needed.

We do need internationally to work together to isolate North Korea and to demonstrate that we will not tolerate the way in which they both develop and proliferate weapons of mass destruction,

We've made it clear that this is not the start of a major conflict, but certainly our forces are ready, they are prepared and they will take on the tasks that assigned to them,

We are disturbed that after the first evidence session (before the committee), which did not cover all the concerns released by the intelligence staff, the defense secretary decided against giving instructions for a letter to be written to us outlining the concerns.

The political connection between India and the UK runs deep and stands stronger than it has ever been. I attend this event for the second consecutive year and reinforce my belief that we have a lot to learn from the world's largest democracy.

We have made clear all along that this bill is for discussion and debate,

This work sets out how military arrangements for liaising with the civil authorities could be enhanced and how best to coordinate military assistance to them if requested.

The deaths of these servicemen are especially poignant on a day when Iraqis were able to enjoy the freedom of democratic elections for the first time in many years.

We are setting out very clearly what has happened. I wish sometimes journalists would listen a little more closely to what we are actually saying.

We will immediately take steps to identify and reduce notice to move for some additional headquarters and units, to allow further deployments as rapidly as possible in response to this accelerating program of work.

The government has decided that we should accept the U.S. request for assistance,

to do so would risk the operational security of the mission and potentially the safety of our forces.

To do nothing, to give Saddam Hussein time without end, as he wishes, would be easier than taking action, certainly.

What we are doing is ensuring that we have a range of military options available should they be required, ... This process does not lead inexorably to military action.

The public must remain vigilant, we must continue to take care to deal with these kinds of appalling threats to our safety and security.

We could be condemned on a massive scale for taking an abdication of responsibility,

encouraging because it shows the Indians are showing a first step back from the brink.

The world has changed even if he has not ... (and) that makes him more of a threat. It is in the light of September 11 that Saddam's hidden arsenal must be judged,

the right group of forces for the sort of tasks that may be necessary.

After careful evaluation, the chiefs of staff have advised me that UK forces are able to undertake the proposed operation, that there is a compelling military operational justification for doing so and that it entails a militarily acceptable level of risk for UK forces,

are recovering the bodies and attempting to ascertain the cause of the crash.

A UK armored battle group consisting of the 1st Battalion the Black Watch and supporting units will deploy ... to relieve a U.S. unit for other tasks.

This is simply a warning shot, if you like, across the bows of the Iraqi leadership.

This government plans and prepares. We will plan and prepare for this winter.

This changeover will represent the first stage of our plans to withdraw the bulk of our deployed force by the previously announced timetable of mid-June,

It is with great regret that I can confirm that nine Royal Air Force personnel and one soldier are missing believed killed,

That kind of campaign has fortunately passed into history as technology has moved on.

It's important that we continue to work together... that we understand each other's political difficulties.

not be deflected by the enemies of peace.

Can I emphasize that these judgments are made by highly experienced, highly professional military officers, ... This is not something in which politicians would seek to interfere.

but if conflict remains the only way to disarm Saddam Hussein, we are ready.

I drove 3,500 miles this summer on our family holiday, we drove across 10 countries. I have driven across the United States four times. I love cars, I love being in cars, I think so do most people. I want to help and support those people who have that same kind of enthusiasm for driving that I have.

This has happened in Kosovo. Fresh evidence is being discovered all the time.

the full scale of the requirement ... has yet to be developed.

According to the reports we have gathered, mostly from the refugees, it appears that around 10,000 people have been killed in more than 100 massacres. The final toll may be much worse,

The British government believes we must be resolved to disarming Saddam Hussein. It must be done before the terror weapons he possesses can be used by Saddam himself or by others with his blessing. We must steel ourselves to the consequences of that resolve and send a clear message to Saddam Hussein: You cannot win. You can only comply and disarm or be defeated. The choice is entirely yours.

We are well aware that he spent many hours recently tape recording various messages... we need to do a little more analysis of what was actually said to see if that indeed was in fact Saddam Hussein,

Anyone who is contemplating going to Afghanistan does need to think very carefully about the consequences, both to them and their families in terms of the grief they may suffer, as well as contemplate the legal action that might follow on their return, if they were to return,

I would be quite happy to see the Northern Alliance steam across northern Afghanistan and take Kabul.

In other words, the barbaric acts carried out in this building were probably almost a matter of routine.

The Government have made it clear that the constitutional treaty will be ratified in the UK only after a referendum.

One day they might. I accept that in the short term the consequences are terrible. No one minimises those and I'm not seeking to do so. But what I am saying is that this is a country that has been brutalised for decades by this appalling regime and that the restoration of that country to its own people, the possibility of their deciding their future... and indeed the way in which they go about thier lives, ultimately, yes, that will be a better place for people in Iraq.

European countries need to make more of a contribution in terms of defence capabilities. It is not fair?to keep turning to our ally in the United States to contribute military forces to problems which involve our own security.

We assess that there is no significant threat to the UK from nuclear weapons at present, but developments continue to be monitored closely. We remain committed to limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons through our international treaty obligations, and national programmes.