Douglas Alexander

“David Cameron wants people to believe that his isolation in Europe is a result of Britain being outnumbered when it matters most.”

“Historically, Labour has used technology as a form of control. We would use pagers and faxes to send out messages telling people what line to take. The key learning from the Obama campaign is to use technology to empower your supporters.”

“Our responsibility is to protect people and help them into work.”

“I'm in agreement with David Miliband when he says our generation of Labour politicians are not willing to hand over the direction of the country without a serious electoral fight.”

“Building the future holds more attraction than ancestor worship, whichever ancestor we're talking about.”

“For me, fiscal realism is not a betrayal of Labour values; it is the foundation by which we win the trust of the public.”

“My vision for Scotland is one in which we fight together for the values we are care about: equality, fairness and social justice. Those values are the same whether you live in Dumfries or Carlisle.”

“It would be wrong for us to offer difference from the Conservative Party at the cost of credibility, but equally it would be wrong to offer credibility at the cost of being clear that there remain very fundamental differences.”

“Of course we need to show we are a genuine alternative to an unpopular, Conservative-led government. But we need to set ourselves a higher standard than a party offering anger like UKIP.”

“The scale of the ISIS threat is not yet matched by a clarity of approach for securing their defeat.”

“It is already clear that, because of advances in technology, drones are going to play an increased role in warfare in the years ahead. It is therefore vital that the legal frameworks governing their use are robust and internationally recognised.”

“In this age of growing interconnectedness, we understand that turning our backs on the world is simply not an option.”

“My general approach to opposition is where the government is getting something right, we should say so. And where we disagree with them, we should say so, too.”

“The Commonwealth is a vital and positive partnership between countries striving to develop trade relations and promote democracy and human rights, united by shared values.”

“As shadow foreign secretary, I have been as clear in my support for the government when it does something we agree with as I am in highlighting that which we oppose.”

“In sport, as in science, business, and diplomacy, as Scots we understand that we benefit from the deep and diverse partnerships that make up the United Kingdom.”

“In an era of billion-person countries and trillion-pound economies, we need to find ways to amplify our voice. We are most likely to be heard when the Chinese negotiate with a £10 trillion E.U., not a £1.5 trillion Britain.”

“Change is a process: future is a destination. People want a sense of hope, possibility and pride about Britain.”

“This Network Generation have grown up in a connected world. With Skype, Facebook, Twitter and the Internet, the world is at their fingertips via their smart phone. They find the idea of watching TV programmes at a time to suit the broadcaster quaint and old-fashioned.”

“Politics requires the sense of possibility. Dare I say it - the audacity of hope.”