"You know, Rupert Murdoch I've said is like an Italian when it comes to negotiations." — Andrew Neil

The Sun' and the 'News of the World' fell in line behind New Labour in the run up to the 1997 election, 'The Times' stayed broadly neutral and 'The Sunday Times' unenthusiastically Tory. After the election, 'The Times' quickly fell in line as the New Labour house journal.

That's the only time when newspapers have some influence, when they are pushing the British public in a direction they are already minded to go.

Well, one person whose company I enjoy is Charlie Whelan. He and I get on really well together.

People know more about my views than they do about most BBC presenters because I had a life before becoming a BBC presenter.