David Gauke

“If Parliament is voting overwhelmingly against leaving the European Union without a deal but is voting in favour of a softer Brexit, then I don't think it's sustainable to ignore Parliament's position and therefore leave without a deal.”

“We've got an outstanding justice system. Our judiciary are respected around the world. It is a key part of what we are as a country. It's an area where there is a strong political consensus behind that and perhaps in an era of populism it's important that we preserve those qualities.”

“Traditional Conservative voters like me should lend their support to the Liberal Democrats but I think I am best placed to run as an independent.”

“For the offenders completing these short sentences whose lives are destabilised, and for society which incurs a heavy financial and social cost, prison simply isn't working.”

“Whilst long prison sentences will always be right for those who commit the most serious crimes, particularly of a violent or sexual nature, the fact is that the vast majority of all offenders will at some point be released.”

“The public, investors and stakeholders now expect higher standards of tax compliance and more transparency from large businesses about the way they approach taxation.”

“Loose talk about no deal has given credibility to the simplistic slogans of the Brexit party and resulted in millions voting for them.”

“Middle-class commuters in Rickmansworth and Berkhamsted are wondering whether the Conservative party is the party that they have traditionally supported. And they certainly don't want to support a Farage-lite party.”

“I believe the public therefore expect the justice system to focus on rehabilitation to reduce the risk of subsequent offending - and the likelihood of them becoming a victim of crime.”

“People don't like what's happened to the big parties. They think they've been dragged off to the extremes. They think the quality of leadership is below what a country like the United Kingdom ought to have available. And they want something different.”

“If the price of continuing my political career is to be complicit in a really bad thing then that's not a price I'm prepared to pay.”

“I want to open up investment even further so over the summer we'll launch a consultation on indirect investments in social enterprises - including exploring the possibility of a new scheme based on the success of venture capital trusts which will enable investors to pool their funds to support a variety of social enterprises.”

“Boris Johnson was elected on a strategy that went down well with members, but was inevitably going to collide with reality and unravel. And it's happened more quickly than it might have done, for reasons for which he and his team are responsible.”

“Many offenders have had immensely difficult upbringings and do not have the support of loving families and friends.”

“Rather than recognising the challenges of a fast-changing society require sometimes complex responses, that we live in a world of trade-offs, that easy answers are usually false answers, we have seen the rise of the simplifiers.”