quotes of the week

What possesses people - especially servants of the public - of the idea that they can take on the middle classes and win? Only Lenin and Pol Pot have ever done so.

John Casey, Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge What we're concerned about here is the politics of greed, the revolving door in which ministers take decisions in favour of privatised companies one day, and then go and take the cream from thatprivatised company the next.

Jack Straw, Shadow Home Secretary Being wrong is one of the privileges of public life and indeed it is widely practised.

Tony Benn, MP, to the Nolan Committee which is investigating standards in public life What I don't understand is how a Frenchman can be playing for Manchester United. He's not even from England. They employ him to play football for them, not to go round hitting people.

Lord Denning on Eric Cantona Parents agonise very often about which secondary school to send their children to. It's the primary school they should be starting with.

David Blunkett, Shadow Education Secretary