Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us. Society is stronger when we make vows to each other and we support each other. I don’t support gay marriage in spite of being a conservative. I support gay marriage because I am a conservative.
For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone.
I like democracy. I like to be able to throw out my political leaders when they get things wrong, and we don’t get to do that with Brussels.
Simply asking the British people to carry on accepting a European settlement over which they have had little choice is a path to ensuring that when the question is finally put – and at some stage it will have to be – it is much more likely that the British people will reject the EU.
Lots of people call me Dave, my mum calls me David, my wife calls me Dave, I don’t really notice what people call me.
It is national parliaments, which are, and will remain, the true source of real democratic legitimacy and accountability in the EU.