Tony Blair Quotations | Page 5

I do not seek unpopularity as a badge of honour, but sometimes it is the price of leadership and the cost of conviction.

The best philanthropy is not just about giving money but giving leadership. The best philanthropists bring the gifts that made them successful-the drive, the determination, the refusal to accept that something can't be done if it needs to be into their philanthropy.

The problem is some of the populism on both the far left and the far right, it can make a Tweet but not make a policy. And, you know, when you are dealing with issues that are as important and serious as this, I understand why people search for simple solutions.

I can stand here today, leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister, and say to the British people: you have never had it so ... prudent.

Sometimes, and in particular dealing with a dictator, the only chance of peace is a readiness for war.

It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American argument or parody their political leadership.

Yes, I did have to struggle very hard to get this [the vote on the Iraq war] through, but the reason I did it was because I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't take this on myself... just because I thought, 'Let's give myself a really hard time for a couple of years!

Well, we definitely need a strong and clear and assertive America. That's for sure. But you've always got to build alliances. And so it's very important that we are able to build those alliances. And where we don't do what in a way to extremists want us to do, which is to make this into a battle between the West and Islam - it's not. This isn't a clash between civilizations. It's about whether the values of tolerance and respect for difference prevail.

We can only protect liberty by making it relevant to the modern world.

That's the art of leadership. To make sure that what shouldn't happen, doesn't happen.