We need a leader able to project his or her personality and present our policies in today's media environment. All this is true - but we also need a leader capable of building a team, inspiring loyalty from colleagues, and one genuinely open to ideas.

Bob Ainsworth

Categorized in : Today Personality Loyalty Colleagues

Growing up, I was always in the kitchen. Even in third grade, I made cooking videos called 'The Little Italian.' Very little production value, but it was good.

Bob Ainsworth

growing-up italian cooking

Failure in Afghanistan would have profound consequences for our national security. It would undermine the NATO alliance structure that has been the bedrock of Britain's defence for the last 60 years... I will not allow this to happen on my watch.

Bob Ainsworth

profound watches years

I got a tooth bust by somebody who decided they didn't like me and I thought the moustache hid a scar on my lip. It's true that people were told facial hair was not appreciated by the British public, but I just decided to keep the moustache.

Bob Ainsworth

teeth hair people

My heroes are the non-commissioned officers. If I had another life thats what Id be - a regimental sergeant major or a similar rank. Thats where the spirit of the armed forces is.

Bob Ainsworth

another-life spirit hero

I never expected to be Defence Secretary. It's a great privilege.

Bob Ainsworth

defence privilege expected

We in the west walked away from Afghanistan at the end of the cold war and left it as a country devastated socially and armed to the teeth. If we do that again there will be consequences.

Bob Ainsworth

teeth war country

I come from a pretty tough background and I learned a long time ago not to be bothered.

Bob Ainsworth

backgrounds tough long

The last thing we want to do is to go into an area and inflict unnecessary civilian casualties. One is too many.

Bob Ainsworth

too last go want

I have strengths, and I have weaknesses. I don't pretend to be able to write a great thesis or doctorate - I have no pretensions in that direction.

Bob Ainsworth

direction pretend great thesis

Our aim is always to minimise casualties and to separate a hardline Taliban from those who have been caught up in the insurgency.

Bob Ainsworth

who up always aim

If you stand at an election and put a manifesto in front of people saying you're going to improve health care, you have to stick by that.

Bob Ainsworth

you election health people

It's hard to find good teamwork in practice, and I have never thought that we, as a party, were any better at working as a team than the Tories, despite our core values.

Bob Ainsworth

good team teamwork practice

Stalin's policies pushed the world into the Cold War. Putin has the potential to be equally as dangerous.

Bob Ainsworth

cold dangerous war world

We have tended in politics in this country to concentrate on the domestic, on the here and now - the 'what's in it for me'.

Bob Ainsworth

now me politics country

I'll tell you what I do have: I have a good feel for ordinary people, for politics, and those are my strengths. I understand, I hope instinctively, where many of our Armed Forces come from.

Bob Ainsworth

good you politics hope

Defence must be more adaptable, able to respond quickly to the changes in the security environment and the character of conflict.

Bob Ainsworth

more conflict environment character

I was Minister for the Armed Forces in the Ministry of Defence for two years prior to being appointed Defence Secretary.

Bob Ainsworth

being armed-forces two years

I have always had a keen interest in defence and military history and read more on this subject than anything else.

Bob Ainsworth

more always military history

As the Chief of the Defence Staff says, you don't defend on the goal line. Defending the interests of the U.K. means tackling threats early and at source, and that means intervening overseas.

Bob Ainsworth

early you defence goal

I am extremely honoured to be the Defence Secretary, and I would not do the job if I did not think that I could make a useful contribution in the role.

Bob Ainsworth

i-am job think contribution