Terrorism gravely threatens international peace and security, and as a solution, the power and apparent finality of force are seductive.
The growing influence of focus groups means we are all in danger of being excessively cowed by their feedback.
It would be a tragedy if the remarkable international coalition against terrorism, successfully marshalled in the aftermath of 11 September, were to fragment over a unilateral U.S. strike against Baghdad.
When it comes to our public services, decentralisation means giving power back to those on the front line - our doctors, nurses, teachers and physiotherapists, and our locally elected officials.
Valuing public servants would boost morale among those on the front line of implementing government policy.
Just as we Liberal Democrats opposed the flawed logic of that war in Iraq - we will oppose the flawed government claim that we have to surrender our fundamental rights in order to improve our security.
As a Scot, representing a Scottish constituency for almost the past 25 years, I do not harbour an overweening ambition to pronounce on each and every matter exclusively English.
I do think there is a great deal of caricature around the House of Commons. It is just that kind of place.
The government's instinct is to shroud itself in secrecy - to act like the office of a president instead of as a collective cabinet government held to account by the elected House of Commons.
The way to defeat international terrorism is through international cooperation based on international law, clear intelligence, and a measured and appropriate military response.
Soon after the 1997 election, I argued that there was no inverse law of political gravity which said that everything which went down had to come back up.
Politics is much too serious to be taken too seriously; equally, there are many aspects of it so laughable as to be lamentable.
I did not dwell on the issue of Europe during either the 2001 or the 2005 campaigns - despite it being a pivotal personal concern and despite seeing it as something of a litmus test for liberal democracy.
Liberal Democracy is all about extending choice. Give people the option to decide their retirement age, and you immediately extend their freedom in a very significant way.
Three simple words - freedom, justice and honesty. These sum up what the Liberal Democrats stand for.
We Liberal Democrats believe in dialogue. We believe in cooperation with both sides of industry and between both sides of industry. And we believe in the language of cooperation. We reject the language of confrontation.
You won't catch Liberal Democrats describing trade unionists as wreckers.
Only the Liberal Democrats have probed the government's failings consistently, thoroughly and effectively.
We Liberal Democrats don't believe we should use the tax structure to champion just one type of family.
It's our job as Liberal Democrats to be an effective opposition - and an increasingly tough one as well.
