It is often quite impossible to gauge the mood of the Chamber in advance, particularly on big occasions. One moment, it is relaxed and good-humoured; at the next, it can be angry and querulous, and the House in this mood can be a formidable arena.

I bridled strongly when Labour introduced their Right to Roam, fearing that it would be misused by the hard Left to stir up unnecessary trouble in the countryside. In fact, greater access to the uplands has been a very good thing.

Churchill's career was littered with oratorical disasters when he misjudged the audience.

Nicholas Soames Quotes