Without the political parties and the volunteering work of their members day in, day out, we would have a very different sort of politics and society. David Blunkett Read Quote
To punish MPs because of the distance they live from London – those with fast train journeys quite close to London as well as those at some distance from both the capital or an appropriate airport – is perverse, but also dangerous to democracy. David Blunkett Read Quote
When I first came into parliament, there was, on average, a by-election every three months – due not to MPs bailing out, but because of the death rate. David Blunkett Read Quote
I am totally in favour of reform – but it must be reform that changes the nature of British politics, not simply the makeup or operation of parliament. David Blunkett Read Quote
Changes to parliamentary procedure won’t transform the lives of the people whom I represent. Decentralising, devolving decision-making and renewing civil society will. David Blunkett Read Quote
As home secretary, I gained a reputation for being ‘tough’; less concerned with liberty than with public protection. David Blunkett Read Quote
To make sense of a world in which rapid change and globalisation create genuine insecurity, we need benchmarks by which we can judge our actions and their long-term impact. David Blunkett Read Quote
If, in the name of liberty, we allow individuals to act in a way that damages the wellbeing of the whole, it will inevitably mean the breakdown of mutuality, thereby changing the very nature of our society. David Blunkett Read Quote
If surveillance infiltrates our homes and personal relationships, that is a gross breach of our human and civil rights. David Blunkett Read Quote
