“Wagner had a terrific understanding of politics. In 1829, he was a Marxist revolutionary who wanted to bring down the establishment. He hated religion and churches, which he said enslaved people. But he later developed different views that put art at the centre of the life of the state.”

British journalist, broadcaster, and retired politician

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former politician. He has 99 quotes on the site. Born in 1953, he is known both for his years in the Conservative Party and for his later television work. He served as MP for Enfield Southgate from 1984 to 1997 and for Kensington and Chelsea from 1999 to 2005, and he held ministerial and Cabinet posts. After leaving frontline politics, he became known for railway documentaries, including Great British Railway Journeys and Great Continental Railway Journeys.