In an ageing society, it makes sense to support older adults to develop new skills, prolonging their working lives. – David Blunkett
I don’t like prolonged, highly expensive commissions, especially if they are chaired by judges. We seem to have overwhelming faith in judges. – David Blunkett
We have a media that presents every politician as being as bad as the next. There is no distinguishing between one good idea or another; no explanation of why constitutional change should be uppermost in the minds of the people I represent. – David Blunkett
I’m convinced that quite a lot of young people, when they get in trouble with the law, it’s a cry for help there. Because it’s not that they go out to offend. It’s that their behaviour is self-parading, it’s the big ‘I’. And sometimes that means they’re really lacking in confidence. – David Blunkett
History teaches us that, whatever we say, racists will always distort the words of mainstream politicians to make themselves sound more respectable. – David Blunkett
We must look to an open, tolerant, inclusive England, which embraces the values of a Britain that still leads the world in terms of an open democracy, as well as an understanding of the needs for responsibilities and obligations to run alongside the affirmation of individual rights. – David Blunkett
In government, you are pressed by the security agencies. They come to you with very good information, and they say, ‘You need to do something.’ So you do need the breath of scepticism, not cynicism, breathing on them. – David Blunkett
We need to reaffirm that politics is not merely compatible with economic progress and development in the 21st century, but essential to it. – David Blunkett
We need a government which, yes, guarantees basic standards in public services, but which also steps in to protect people’s wellbeing as they take part in our consumer democracy – particularly online. – David Blunkett
When it comes to those who are accused and their right to defend themselves, it is perfectly reasonable to expect relevant evidence to be made public, and I am in favour of open justice. – David Blunkett
I am nothing if not a loyalist. After 46 years in the Labour party, I’ve grown weary of the cry: ‘If only we had a new, shining, revamped leader, all would be well.’ – David Blunkett
In today’s world, learning has become the key to economic prosperity, social cohesion and personal fulfillment. We can no longer afford to educate the few to think, and the many to do. – David Blunkett
And we think that our citizens and yours would be very angry if they thought that we hadn’t taken every possible step for prevention and then for joint action in the likelihood of those who threaten our lives and our well- being, taking action at the same time. – David Blunkett
Reciprocity helps us balance the need for self-determination and creative individuality with mutual hope and, therefore, what might be described as ‘solidarity.’ – David Blunkett
Much extremist activity falls short of directly inciting people to violence or other crimes and so is not caught by laws on incitement. Neither does the Public Order Act, used to protect groups of people from harassment, deal with the problem. – David Blunkett
Balancing the common good with the freedom and liberty to exercise that individuality has been and remains a challenge for those committed to democracy while understanding that the polis ensures our participation and therefore our citizenship. – David Blunkett
It’s not just parliament that requires radical modernisation. It’s our democratic processes. – David Blunkett
The clash between capital and labour, between those seeking to maximise profit and those with only their toil to sell, was the driving force for the creation of the trade unions in the 19th century. – David Blunkett
There are some really good experiments with the youth offending service, joining up youth offending teams with the youth justice board, and good local authority and primary care trusts working together. – David Blunkett
If you have a sense of irony or humour, you’re usually cut down, as you’re usually distorted or misinterpreted. So it does lead to us being slightly more dour and staid and predictable than would otherwise be the case, which I personally find quite frustrating – because if you don’t laugh occasionally in my job, you cry most of the time. – David Blunkett
We need to build on what we know works – local oversight of schools to keep a check on performance, timely interventions in schools to support those at risk of failing, and partnerships between schools to help each one to improve. – David Blunkett
The democratic state can sometimes abuse its power as much as those who seek to destroy it abuse fundamental rights and democratic practices. – David Blunkett
As a former home secretary, I have access to and knowledge of the workings of the system in a way that individuals unfamiliar with the courts can never hope to have. – David Blunkett
Being home secretary involves having to face some of the worst of human behaviour and challenges of modern society. – David Blunkett
Despite being in public life, I value my own privacy immensely and would be as concerned as anyone else if I thought my mobile phone records could be easily available to officials across government. – David Blunkett
What is it that unites, on the left of British politics, George Orwell, Billy Bragg, Gordon Brown and myself? An understanding that identity and a sense of belonging need to be linked to our commitment to nationhood and a modern form of patriotism. – David Blunkett
It is a mistake to separate learning for work and for community and personal development. – David Blunkett
People from all over the world were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Centre. They came from many different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu believers were killed together as they worked in the towers. – David Blunkett