No one is going to persuade me that eight people arriving in South Shields is going to overwhelm the local system. I think that 25,000 refugees would be more in line with the U.N. That would be a substantive contribution.

Dominant narrative is so overwhelming in politics. The smallest gaffe when the momentum is against you is a disaster. But when it is with you, everyone just ignores it.

The way that you are when you're allowed to be yourself is very different from when you're, say, being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman. You're never given the breathing space.

Ed Miliband Quotes