Andrew Adonis

“For me, no one aspect of the Brexit debate displays so markedly the monomania of many Brexiteers as does the Irish question.”

“We shouldn't leave the E.U. until we have trade protection at least as good.”

“Teach First is uniquely placed to help universities broaden the social background of their student intake.”

“On the left, nationalisation is pursued for its own sake - as a panacea that will somehow fix train travel all by itself.”

“Britain's railways don't need to be wholly nationalised and they don't need to be operated solely by private companies. Both of these myopias harm our ability to get the best deal for passengers.”

“Good government has essentially broken down in the face of Brexit.”

“It is important to understand that the WTO, like the United Nations, is a weak international agency which depends upon financing and support from its largest members.”

“The SDP's founder, Roy Jenkins, was my hero and later mentor.”

“Clement Attlee, the man who led us out of the rubble of the Second World War and into a more modern, egalitarian Britain, is one of this country's greatest Prime Ministers. One major reason for this is that he was better able to recognise the wants and needs of the British people than some of his more polished political contemporaries.”

“School standards need to rise a lot further if the full potential of all our young people, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, is to be realised: there is no room for complacency.”

“Yes, I have found many people who voted for Brexit and believe it will answer their problems. But they mostly realise that Europe isn't the problem, however much the E.U. could be improved.”

“International examples prove that high-speed rail pays for itself.”

“In politics, exhaustion and attrition need to be overcome, not indulged.”

“What most teachers need is very strong leadership and motivation, and when it comes to recruiting teachers you want to have the biggest possible pool possible.”

“England's dominant schools, universities, professions and enterprises are largely in the ideological and filial grip of the Conservative party. This isn't always obvious but it is emphatic, especially when they are threatened.”

“Parents who've not had an education themselves find it hard to explain to their children what a decent education involves, and I completely understand that. Parents themselves need to be educated by schools about what sort of education they should expect for their children. I do think there's a heavy responsibility of the school.”

“Speaking to people in all parts of the country, it has become clear to me that there is a definite appetite for the option to reject Theresa May's Brexit and hold a referendum.”

“There are issues that shape every generation and define every age. Climate change is just such an issue and our political generation has got to deal with it.”

“Education for all up to 18, and lifelong learning beyond. That is a vision true to Ruskin - the man, the college, and the speech.”

“What is clear to me is that social media is a skill and you have to keep working at it. But it hasn't taken over my life. I think I use it, it doesn't use me.”