Nicky Morgan

“I don't want to see the City lose its pre-eminence as the best place in the world to do business.”

“Brexit is so extraordinary in so many ways.”

“I was a candidate in Loughborough in the 2005 election. I had a good result against the sitting Labour MP but not enough to unseat him.”

“There have been plenty of little changes down the years but what's never been changed is that the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

“Those who think that Brexit offers an opportunity to move to some low tax, almost off-shore de-regulatory haven don't seem to care about the threat posed by Corbyn.”

“We should make it very clear to Saudi Aramco and others who want to list in London that they are very welcome but we aren't going to overly amend the rules just for one particular listing.”

“We have outstanding schools, world-class teaching and inspirational leadership across the country.”

“I don't want my son to grow up in a Britain that puts a limit on his ambition; I want him to be free to join thousands of British students, studying at colleges and universities in Germany, France and the rest of Europe.”

“I would argue that in terms of our country's international profile, Brexit is just as significant a development as any military engagement.”

“I have learned as I've grown up that it's too easy to worry that others are looking at you, or judging you, but most of the time they are just getting on with their own lives.”

“If people think that local elections are won or lost on local education matters, that isn't happening.”

“Shining a light on issues like the gender pay gap and whether firms are imposing and meeting targets is how diversity gets pushed up the priority lists of boards. Greater transparency allows for more effective scrutiny.”

“I totally support civil partnerships and that same-sex relationships are recognised in law. But marriage, to me, is between a man and a woman.”

“Inevitably, the role of being a backbench Member of Parliament is completely different from being a minister bound by collective responsibility.”

“We must ensure that girls do not close off career paths by limiting the subjects that they study - this is why continuing to study science, technology, engineering, and maths is so important.”

“The risk of reputational damage, causing good female talent to decline to work for a firm based on its disclosure, is the strongest reason for firms to address their gender pay gap.”

“Visiting schools, I'm lucky enough to see the impact that education has in transforming young lives.”

“Sadly, Isis are extremely intolerant of homosexuality.”

“When I go in and talk to students about being a Member of Parliament, I say to them it took me 21 years from joining the Conservative Party as a 16-year-old to being elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time in Loughborough. It's a long journey, but the rewards when you get there, the feeling of accomplishment is huge.”

“Being an MP is a challenging job - it's strange hours, and if you have another half, they have to be supportive. But it can be very flexible, and of course you get recesses, which I find work very well around school term times.”