I'm not someone who dwells upon past events, taking the view that life is too short.
It is true that I entered parliament at the age of 23, and have now been representing the people of my constituency for over twenty years.
My approach is always to try to be straight with people, especially about what my party can achieve.
People are not stupid.
The quicker we get rid of the lobby system the better for all of us. I don't think in this day and age it is tenable to have these nods and winks, and on-the-record and off-the-record briefings.
Yes, you need substance in politics - but I think your style also says something about how you arrive at some of your conclusions.
I do think there is a great deal of caricature around the House of Commons. It is just that kind of place.
I'm a fully paid-up member of the human race.
Actually, I think it's quite sensible not to take yourself too seriously.
I will go out of this world feet first with my Lib Dem membership card in my pocket.
To be seen to be human, provided you're doing your job at the same time, is definitely not a negative, not at all.
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.
To run an effective political party you need a degree of tribalism, it's the glue that holds everyone together.
I am genuinely not an over-the-top kind of person about politics or anything else.
I want to see far more decisions taken far closer to the patients, the passengers and the pupils. Far more power for locally and regionally elected politicians who understand best the needs of their areas. And far more say too for the dedicated staff at all levels in health and education.
You won't catch Liberal Democrats describing trade unionists as wreckers.
I'm a lifelong believer in trade unionism.
We Liberal Democrats believe in dialogue. We believe in cooperation with both sides of industry and between both sides of industry. And we believe in the language of cooperation. We reject the language of confrontation.
Politicians are good at saying how Government must do more, but we must also think carefully about where Government should do less.
We should have high expectations of our children, but politicians should not tell teachers how to meet them.
