Charles kennedy

I should do something about the cigarettes; I quite accept that it's bad for your health, but you know a moderate tipple is positively beneficial and, at certain times, absolutely essential.

For any new leader of any party at any given time it takes time if you are not in government to establish yourself.

My approach is always to try to be straight with people, especially about what my party can achieve.

I will go out of this world feet first with my Lib Dem membership card in my pocket.

We should have high expectations of our children, but politicians should not tell teachers how to meet them.

Actually, I think it's quite sensible not to take yourself too seriously.

I'm a fully paid-up member of the human race.

I am genuinely not an over-the-top kind of person about politics or anything else.

Immigrants provide skills that we simply cannot afford to do without. They have contributed hugely to Britain's success.

Politicians are good at saying how Government must do more, but we must also think carefully about where Government should do less.