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If I had said `I'm frightfully sorry, that's a very interesting question but I'd better go and ask Ken Clarke or Joe Bloggs or someone else before I give you an answer' - that's not the way I operate - John Major, on his failure to tell the Chancellor of his decision to offer a free vote on the European single currency

Due to the disillusionment of the House on 8 April 8, we are endeavouring to clear all outstanding accounts - Letter sent by the Commons Finance Office to retiring MPs and others

New York is the most realistic place to grow up in, because everybody's got their own problems and they don't care about yours - Mary J Blige, `queen' of hip-hop

In a real sense the nuns are dead already. They are simply clearing a pathway to God. The idea is that if there is a God and you empty your mind of the clutter of existence, then you might just catch Him - Fiona Shaw, actress, after two weeks in a convent

It does show a bit of cheek - they wouldn't dress him up as Mohammed for fear of insulting people - The Rev John Richardson, of the evangelical Reform Group, commenting on a painting of Eric Cantona depicted as Jesus Christ, after Piero Della Francesca's `Resurrection of Christ'

Imagine a big trough with 15 snouts in it taking what they can get - that's the common fisheries policy - Mike Townsend, chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations