Quotes from John Major

What happens when there is a conflict between the Scottish parliament, if it was established, and the Westminster parliament? Who is supreme?

I thought I could do something different from any Conservative prime minister before me. But I couldn't.

I don't think it's the role of the prime minister to court the press.

The British don't runaway from terrorism. We have had 30-odd years of terrorism in our own country from the Irish Republican Army. We're used to it.

'Government gets things right' does not encourage sales. 'Government makes another blunder' does encourage sales, so there's a commercial imperative that pushes sensationalism.

When I was in office the fundraising was done by the party treasurers.

You don't forget crises and neither does the Queen.

A consensus politician is someone who does something that he doesn't believe is right because it keeps people quiet when he does it.

Society needs to condemn a little more and understand a little less.

The first requirement of politics is not intellect or stamina but patience. Politics is a very long run game and the tortoise will usually beat the hare.

If you look at things that really affect people's lives - sport, the arts, charities - they were always at the back of the queue for government money - health, social security, defence, pensions were all way ahead. And each of those areas - sports, the arts, the lottery - got relatively petty cash from the government.

Well, I think there's a distinction between sexing-up the intelligence and sexing-up the presentation of the intelligence.

Of course there are regrets. I shall regret always that I found my own authentic voice in politics. I was too conservative, too conventional. Too safe, too often. Too defensive. Too reactive. Later, too often on the back foot.

It is time to return to core values, time to get back to basics, to self-discipline and respect for the law, to consideration for the others, to accepting responsibility for yourself and your family - and not shuffling it off on other people and the state.

The sight of allegedly sophisticated politicians parroting complete tripe trivialises and demeans government and it has to be stopped. It's played a significant part in public disillusionment with politics and has led to the absurd situation where more people vote for 'Strictly Come Dancing' than voted in the general election.

I think we can get respect for Parliament back providing governments and oppositions are frank.

If we want to deliver opportunity for all, we need an economy that delivers jobs for the future.

The argument that Saddam Hussein was a bad man and had to be removed simply won't do. There are many bad men around the world who run countries and we don't topple them, and, indeed, in earlier years we actually supported Saddam Hussein when he was fighting Iran. The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and an unacceptable argument for regime change.

Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be 'too clever by half.' The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.

Recovery begins from the darkest moment.

I don't have a shred of regret about entering the exchange-rate mechanism.

Of course there are regrets. I shall regret always that I found my own authentic voice in politics. I was too conservative, too conventional. Too safe, too often. Too defensive. Too reactive. Later, too often on the back foot.

I have been reading the press more regularly than others over 50 years and it seems to me that there are things that have changed in the press that have changed its character.

Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be too clever by half. The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.