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Credo: Steven Berkoff

The actor, writer and director has a love-hate relationship with technology and believes in protecting small shops

Sunday 03 December 2006 01:00 GMT
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I believe that the worship of tinpot celebrities demoralises our society and also spreads canker. Our celebrities are a sign of our moral decay.

I believe that the greatest pleasures are always the cheapest.

I believe that when a thief kisses you, you should count your teeth. I read that somewhere and I thought it was very appropriate. There's always somebody wanting to exploit or steal or jump on you in the most devious way.

The beautiful movements of my cat Apu almost make me believe there is a God.

I believe that to create a good work you must feed the soul, not the pocket. You should express the deepest feelings in you, rather than take the attitude: "Will this be profitable?"

I believe that the people who hunt or shoot animals for pleasure are conditioned to believe their sickness is normal.

I believe that we would be a lot healthier, better, and wiser if we stopped the terrible spread of McDonald's, Burger King and similar blights on our society.

I believe that if anyone tries to hurt our nation by spreading a cult of violence, they should be cast out for ever. We're spending so much time debating, "Should there be free speech?" Just cast them out.

I believe we should not interfere any more in Middle East societies. They will evolve and they will discover what they need. The more we interfere the worse it becomes for us.

I believe that a greedy society loses its purpose and loses its way. Our society is obsessively greedy.

I believe that inventions are fantastic - the telephone, the aeroplane, television. When we first had the answerphone I thought: "What a great gift, I don't have to miss people." But now that I'm bumping into people on the street with their BlackBerrys and blueberries and strawberries, I think it's become a madhouse.

I believe that the poor of this country are being bled dry by hundreds of inane stealth taxes. Tax goes up continuously - home tax, road tax, car tax. You're fined if you transgress a ridiculous speed limit by a hair's breadth. We're being preyed upon in the most unjust way.

I believe that gadgets can reduce us to a state of infantilism. Grabbing our mobiles and yakking away in every possible public place, without any awareness of other people's space - it's just like an unending toyshop.

I believe that there should be a law to protect areas of London that are developed by small, inventive entrepreneurs with little bars and cafés and antiques shops. These rotten property developers come in and immediately double the rents in the area. Then they put in multiple stores from which we learn nothing at all and gain nothing either. The area is left blighted and deadened.

I believe that, after enriching yourself in Britain, to then sneak tax-free money abroad is akin to highway robbery. This country is desperate for money. The hospitals haven't got money; the schools haven't got money.

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