THE WOODWARD AFFAIR: THE WORD OF WOODWARD

"Labour's betrayal of the NHS is truly a disgrace... before the election, Labour promised to save community hospitals. In government we see the scale of their lies." On health policy, 24 November

"I rang him straight away at 6.40pm and said, `I have only just got this page', and he said, `It is too late'." On being sacked on 2 December via his pager by Conservative chief whip James Arbuthnot, who gave him a 6.30pm deadline to resolve his support for lifting Clause 28

"I will continue to serve William Hague loyally from the back benches." After he was sacked on 3 December

"You will be an outstanding addition and doubtless will give the Government hell!" Letter to Tory MP Robert Syms, who replaced him as a shadow minister

"I can no longer support the increasingly right-wing policies of the Conservative Party, which you and your colleagues have adopted over the past two-and-a-half years." In his resignation letter to William Hague on Saturday

"I have no intention of standing down. I have not changed. I am still the Tory the people of Witney elected. It is the Tory party that has changed." To The Independent on Sunday yesterday