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No-one is forced to stand for Parliament; no-one is compelled to become a minister. If you take on those roles, which are great privileges, you also take on big responsibilities.

No minister ever stood, or could stand, against public opinion.

The standing orders of the Parliamentary Party, however, apply to me, apply to every other Member of the Parliamentary Labour Party and they put into a context the way in which those rights to freedom of speech should be exercised.

My function in life is not to be a politician in Parliament: it is to get something done.

I understand the principles of dissent in parliament.

But let's be clear. We're talking about a country where there's no opposition. As leader he can ignore Parliament and - sorry that's Tony Blair isn't it? Um, so he doesn't even have to ask the country before he goes to war - sorry that's still Tony Blair.

Individuals have little opportunity to get elected to Parliament under the label of the government party... unless they are in good standing with the Prime Minister and pledged to be cooperative.

No one politician should be allowed to judge the guilt, to charge an individual, to judge the guilt of an individual and to execute an individual.

Now, I think that in acknowledging that every individual Member of Parliament and indeed every individual member of the Labour Party, has rights to express their view in a spirit of tolerance.

No one can be considered untouchable on political grounds.