Election '97: QUOTES OF THE DAY

It's the total collapse of a once stout party. It's an extraordinary abdication of governmental responsibility - Liberal Democrat Alex Carlile on the Tories' attitude to Emu

If you vote Tory on 1 May, what Conservative Party are you getting? - Tony Blair

Here was a decent, honourable man trying to lead an impossible, rebellious, shattered and split party - Paddy Ashdown on John Major's Party Political Broadcast

Chancellor Kohl and President Chirac are far too astute and experienced. They would eat Mr Blair for breakfast and digest him for lunch - Malcolm Rifkind, Foreign Secretary

We are not the party of the fat cats, but we are the party of making sure we will not put up taxes - Tony Blair

Frankly pathetic - Sandy Macara, BMA chairman, on Labour's pledge to cut NHS bureaucracy by pounds 100m and spend it on patient care

An excellent way of solving a very difficult problem ... The great majority don't want to go any further into Europe - Sir Teddy Taylor on the idea of a free vote

I look forward to her instant dismissal as a sign of strong leadership in the Shadow Cabinet - John Major on Clare Short

We know what the general British public think because we have been going around getting candidates' nominations and we have been getting a friendly reception in almost every house that we call - John Tyndall, BNP leader

It's not a sackable offence to make a mistake and say something you perhaps would prefer not to have said - Malcolm Rifkind on ministers John Horam and James Paice