George Osborne

Politics as a parent is fairly demanding; if your parent is in politics, it's fairly demanding, so I make no excuses about taking two weeks off. ”

We have accepted there is a big role for government to create a framework where businesses can grow in all parts of the country. ”

What's important is that, come the general election, people think the right things of you. They think that you've got the right values and the right policies. And that you're the right kind of person to lead the country. ”

I didn't come from a traditional Tory background; it was urban and metropolitan. ”

The Conservative Party mustn't sound like the old man on the park bench who says things were better in 1985, or 1955, or 1855. ”

They all said I was a very young guy. Well there is nothing I can do about that but with each day that passes the problem solves itself. ”

Cutting budget deficits can never be just an exercise in economics. ”

The Conservative party is at its strongest when it's not the party that says there is no role for government and the state should just get out of the way. That is not a strand of Conservative thinking that, by itself, is enough. ”

I had the closest thing I have ever had to an out-of-body experience lying in bed one morning. I turned on the 'Today' programme and item four on the news was: 'The shadow chancellor has ruled himself out of the leadership.' I lay there thinking that's interesting, then I realised it was me. ”

The positive news is that the British economy is continuing to grow and is creating jobs. And it is positive news too that at a time of real international instability we are a safe haven in the storm. ”