I've never been much given to little social cliques.

I don't really understand this. When you have so many people, each one inevitably fascinating, why would you limit yourself to only those like you?

I never aspired to be Speaker simply so I could say, 'I am the Speaker of the House of Commons,' and tell my children that.

Possibly the fact that I was physically quite feeble, a relatively short little fellow, attracted me to that idea of a very authoritative and aggressive version of Conservative politics.

So much is asked of parents, and so little is given.

I've never been one to tear the social fabric.