Jacob Rees-Mogg

“A constitutional monarchy requires the monarch to be above politics but to be fully informed about politics.”

“My personal opinion is that life begins at the point of conception, and abortion is morally indefensible.”

“I've made no pretence to be a modern man at all, ever.”

“It is easy to defend the right of people to do things that fit in with the cultural norms of the majority. This includes practices that give personal pleasure but may be harmful, such as smoking or drinking. It is harder to argue for minority activities, especially those which stand out and may be obviously unsuitable in certain contexts.”

“Assad is unquestionably guilty of the most grievous fault and has inflicted horrors upon his people.”

“Overseas investors have a choice. They can buy property, equities, bonds, or a host of other assets either in the United Kingdom or abroad. Each decision will be taken depending on the available net return, that is, the profit after tax.”

“Freedom rests on a rational distrust of government; government will always use its power to benefit the incumbent administration.”

“A power of recall that depended solely on the electorate and was not subject to unnecessary hurdles of Parliamentary procedures would show trust in the good sense and fairness of the British people. In return, they might trust Parliamentarians a little more.”

“I think it's true - economically, you want to bake a bigger cake rather than slicing up an existing cake differently.”

“I went into investments out of interest and thought I knew a little. The longer I've been involved, the less I realise I'd known.”

“It is of considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place.”

“Lobbying has become a term of reproach, as if it were improper to push for a particular belief. This has happened because of paid lobbyists whose opinions are for hire and the fear that decision-makers, whether politicians or officials, are susceptible to their charms and wiles. This has tarred entirely proper lobbying with the same brush.”

“I would rather my constituents were warm and prosperous than cold and impoverished as we are overtaken by emerging markets who understandably put people before polar bears.”

“The House of Commons has the undoubted rights to expel members for misconduct. This is an absolute authority which cannot be challenged in any court, as it derives from the twin concept of the High Court of Parliament being the most senior court in the land and of each House's right to regulate its own affairs.”

“In England and, later, the United Kingdom, Habeas Corpus is a right of great antiquity: Anyone who is arrested must be brought before a court, but this does not apply in continental countries.”

“You alleviate poverty by trickle-down economics.”

“Proper British nannies put the child ahead of everything. They do not like to see children used as accessories, carried around in slings for the convenience of the parents' social life. They want a proper set-up, where the baby is rested and happy, not shown off to all-comers.”

“Zero-hours contracts are a low proportion of the workforce; they provide a route into employment and flexibility for staff. They benefit business, consumers, and taxpayers by keeping costs down, and they boost productivity, allowing the efficient use of labour.”

“It is not for me to enforce my morals on others.”

“We must be out of the protectionist common external tariff, which mainly protects inefficient E.U. industries at the cost to British consumers.”