Election '97: QUOTES OF THE DAY

The Liberal Democrats are, as they have always been, handmaidens of socialism - Malcolm Rifkind

A very heavy loose cannon on the deck of a sinking ship - Emma Nicholson talking about Dame Angela Rumbold

If Mr Bell is trying to turn his campaign into an extension of the Guardian smear campaign against me, then what he is doing is prostituting himself. He is wrecking the election for all other candidates - Neil Hamilton

John Prescott has made one of the single most damaging admissions of this election so far, admitting off-the-cuff and off-the-record that a minimum wage would mean higher unemployment - Michael Heseltine

Wait-and-see must inevitably involve an acceptance that if the conditions are right we might join, meanwhile half of the party ... are saying under no circumstances will we join - Menzies Campbell

It's a bit odd if policy is being made by candidates now and not by the people I thought were responsible for policy, which was the Prime Minister and the Cabinet - Edwina Currie

I'll tell you what I'm going to do for the British rock music - I'm never going to play in a band again - Tony Blair talking about his future in the pop music industry