Roy Hattersley, his junior minister there, later told Healey's biographer, Edward Pearce, of "the bliss of working for somebody who had the subject absolutely at their fingertips, who knew what he wanted and pursued his own concept of defence policy with a critical rigour which I have never seen from anyone else".
I'm convinced that the need to analyse and assess materials and develop lines of argument helped me to develop a maturity in my thinking processes, and also a certain rigour in the way I go about things.
Yet there was a rigour in that education that I am glad I experienced.
"I have found worlds that have a lot less intellectual rigour in them, where people have been a lot more precious.
Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire.
After undergoing the rigours of accreditation, I get in a special lift up to the luxurious press facilities, which include free lunch, drinks, coffee and cakes at half time.
I adore rigour, but even with someone who fascinates me, I just don't want to know about the grandparents and great-grandparents.
I like the rigour of gardening with available resources, but I only feel confident in doing this because I have put so much into the soil.
Of course you want academic rigour and high standards – I come from a comprehensive background and got to Cambridge, so it is absurd to say I have low aspirations for any child – but we have got to create a schools policy that works for everybody.
I was happy to be the inspiration for Colette in 'Ratatouille' The people from Pixar spent a lot of time with me for a week, following me around in my restaurant kitchen in Paris, and saw that I have rigour.
