"I didn't become leader to transform the Liberal Democrats into an enlarged form of the Electoral Reform Society. It's not the be all and end all for us. There are other very, very key ambitions in politics, not least social mobility and life chances, that I care about as passionately if not more."

"One of the big changes in politics has been because families, individuals, have felt worried, insecure... worried about the economy, worried about their jobs, worried about their kids' futures... actually the disconnect between the public and media discourse and people's everyday concerns has become bigger not smaller."

"What I hope is in five years' time, I can go to the British people in the election and say: Lots of you doubted that coalition politics worked, but it has worked."

"My dad's side of the family had lots of artists and musicians. There's an emotional, quite sentimental quality to Slavic culture. It's very open, it loves art, it loves music, it loves literature. It's very warm, it's very up, it's very down. I would celebrate that."

"Bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"Bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts. Reflect upon this whenever doubt clouds your horizon."

"If we wish to free ourselves from enslavement, we must choose freedom and the responsibility this entails."

"I am my own sanctuary and I can be reborn as many times as I choose throughout my life."