It seemed as though an old friend had died, even though I had never met him, never seen him except on television, knew only the public man, with his smile and his civilized approach to politics. I think that’s what I valued most about him: his civilized approach, his belief that we, collectively can do better, can be better than we are at present. And his great good humour, especially in the House of Commons, at a time when the general level of debate was wretched, and mean-spirited. We have lost a fine man.

I thought he was one election away from being Prime Minister.