John Prescott

“All I could feel was this warm liquid running down my neck. You automatically think it's blood, it's all in split seconds, so I decided to say I didn't agree with him.”

“We've given more resources. On housing, we are now establishing a regional housing pot.”

“I'm going to introduce you to a revolutionary thought - you can go slower and get there quicker. And that's to do with flow. As soon as you made it two lanes and brought in the 70 (mph) and 50 (mph), you got there quicker. It meant the flow of the traffic was better, there were less accidents, less deaths, I think that's an important factor.”

“She's not forgiven me, but we have a wonderful life from our family and that's the nature and quality of that woman that she can say that.”

“What government has been doing, we've got major programmes now, of billions of pounds, which are directed by central government into these areas of deprivation.”

“I was the one that brought it in, but not only for the north-east, for every area so we can develop all the regional economies, lift up the national productivity, get greater wealth and share it more evenly.”

“That's what I think regions are about, making central government more accountable and fairer.”

“There's no excuse, it's just an opportunity that presented in a limited way and that happened and as soon as the press rang me I didn't deny it I just said 'that's it' and I had to go home and explain it.”