I definitely try not to get too caught up in putting too much of a gender or age assessment on everything - I've just got to get on with it.

I never, ever grew up as a young woman believing that my gender would stand in the way of doing anything I wanted.

The fact I'm the third female Prime Minister, I never grew up believing my gender would stand in the way of doing anything I wanted.

Back in the early days of my political career, I was called Socialist Cindy. I just hate the nickname Cindy.

I descend from both Philadelphia Quakers and Carolina colonists whose families were separated by the Revolutionary War. That helped give me insight into the agony of Patriots who, until the British government denied their claims, had always, like Ben Franklin himself, thought of themselves as free-born Englishmen.

During my time as a political strategist, one of the most vexing problems was figuring out why so many people vote against their perceived interests.

It's very personal in its politics, very bitter and very negative.

When they call the slightest spending reductions 'painful', we will say 'If government spending prevents pain, why are we suffering so much of it?' And 'If you want to experience real pain, just stay on the track we are on.'