Andrew Neil

“The Sun' and the 'News of the World' fell in line behind New Labour in the run up to the 1997 election, 'The Times' stayed broadly neutral and 'The Sunday Times' unenthusiastically Tory. After the election, 'The Times' quickly fell in line as the New Labour house journal.”

“When I went up to Glasgow University in 1967, student life was dominated by 13-hour debates on Fridays, when one of the student political clubs would form the 'government' for the day and attempt to push through a piece of legislation, which the other clubs either supported or opposed.”

“The old Establishment has always preserved its position by not being too exclusive - it has been wily enough to absorb the up-and-coming and convert them to their attitudes and mannerisms.”

“That's the only time when newspapers have some influence, when they are pushing the British public in a direction they are already minded to go.”

“Well, one person whose company I enjoy is Charlie Whelan. He and I get on really well together.”

“The only exception to the demise/struggles of the European centre-left is Macron, in French presidential and parliamentary elections 2017.”

“You have to live and breathe Scotland if you're 'Scotsman' editor.”

“The Sunday paper is an odd British cultural tradition.”

“I recently passed through Mumbai airport. I cannot claim it was a pleasant experience. But if I had a choice between Mumbai airport and Euston on a Sunday afternoon, I'd take Mumbai any day.”

“During the Blair-Brown decade social concerns - what kind of society we have become - have gradually replaced economic worries. People fear that we have become an increasingly fragmented, boorish, more violent society.”

“I am not an insider - definitely not... but I don't think you could call me an outsider.”

“I always wanted to have a career in print and as a broadcaster.”

“Journalists always want publishers or editors to leave. They're creative troublemakers - that's why you hire them.”