You have to believe that it's through politics that societies can lead social and economic and political change.

I've committed myself to serve my constituents in South Shields and I have committed myself to British politics.

Good politics starts with empathy proceeds to analysis then sets out values and establishes the vision before getting to the nitty-gritty of policy solutions.

People feel politics isn't about their lives.

I have a lot of nice Italian winter clothes that make me look like a sophisticated Lebanese professor so my friend Robert and I go around pretending to be experts in Arabic politics. It doesn't work in the summer though. I don't have the right clothes.

If you want to know about my politics the only way to do that is to look at my work.

America wants solutions. America wants a leader. No more tabloid politics.

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

There will be no politics no ifs and buts if we see something and feel that work needs to be done we will get people here we can rely on and ensure it is done in the same thorough way as our other projects.

I hate politics. I like to write about it but to get involved in it to try and make a lot of ignorant people do what you want them to do waste of time. Go and write a book. It's more important and it'll last longer.