British Politician Quotes

So long as the international community consists of sovereign states, war between them remains a possibility, of which all governments have to take reasonable account.

Quitters have the good sense to admit their mistakes, cut their losses, and move on.

Politicians who wish to succeed must be prepared to dissemble, at times to lie. All deceit is bad. In politics some deceit or moral dishonesty is the oil without which the machinery would not work.

I never really needed a nickname at school. Although it was bad for me it was much worse for my sister Ophelia.

When all is said, the floating vote lives up to its name. It floats with the tide; and whoever would influence it must first influence the tide.

Richard Law, 1st Baron Coleraine

The homosexual Tom Driberg complaining about his wife to his friends:

She broke her marriage vows; she tried to sleep with me.

Inconvenience arising from the operation of an Act of Parliament can be no ground of argument in a Court of law.

Richard Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley

I was tenaciously opposed by the governor and deputy-governor of the Bank, who had seats in parliament, and I had the City for an antagonist on almost every occasion.

William Ewart Gladstone

Moslems everywhere behave with equal savagery. They behead criminals, stone to death female — only female — adulteresses, throw acid in the faces of women who refuse to wear the chador, mutilate the genitals of young girls and ritually abuse animals.

Robert Kilroy-Silk

The applications of science are not difficult, but without the science there are no applications.

Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair

It is in this context that Trotsky's attack on Stalin must be understood. Trotsky's attack on Stalin was not directed against Stalin as an individual but against someone who during the course of struggle had emerged as the most representative spokesman of the Bolshevik Party which was upholding, defending, and applying Leninism. The main target of Trotsky's attacks, therefore, was not Stalin but the Bolshevik Party. It was revolutionary Bolshevism - Leninism - that was under attack. It was an attack on the metodhs and forms of organisation of the Bolshevik Party - an attack on the fundamental Leninist policies pursued by the Party.

For a profest architect is proud, opiniative and troublesome, seldom at hand, and a head workman pretending to the designing part, is full of paltry vulgar contrivances; therefore be your owne architect, or sitt still.

Truth is suppressed, not to protect the country from enemy agents but to protect the Government of the day against the people.

In the last Parliament, the House of Commons had more MPs called John than all the women MPs put together.

The only lasting solution is that Europe itself should gradually find its way to an internal equilibrium and a limitation of armaments by political appeasement.

Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian

When I recalled how knowledge of Latin had previously decayed throughout England, and yet many could still read things written in English, I then began, amidst the various and multifarious afflictions of this kingdom, to translate into English the book which in Latin is called Pastoralis, in English 'Shepherd-book', sometimes word for word, sometimes sense for sense.

Alfred the Great

There is a glut of chemical books, but a scarcity of chemical truths.

John French, 1st Earl of Ypres

Kingdoms are but cares,
State is devoid of stay;
Riches are ready snares,
And hasten to decay.

Henry VI of England

I dislike censorship. Like an appendix it is useless when inert and dangerous when active.

Maurice Edelman

Politicians are like monkeys. The higher they climb, the more revolting are the parts they expose.

Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby

I foresee a Liberal vote so massive and the number of Liberal MPs so great that we shall hold the initiative in the new Parliament.

The Conservative Party always in time forgives those who were wrong. Indeed often, in time, they forgive those who were right.

There is no presumption in this country that every person knows the law: it would be contrary to common sense and reason if it were so.

William Henry Maule

Method is everything in archaeology, my boy. Why, we always deal with our finds in order.

Sir Joseph Scott, 1st Baronet

If the famous Clementi, whom I found here (Italy) in the year 1766, and bought of his father for seven years, is not still a Catholic, the fault is not with me.—I assured the Pope I would not endeavour to convert him. Meeting him one Sunday when we were in the country, I asked him—" Why he did not go to mass" (there was a Catholic chapel about ten miles distant) : he said—" There was no horse."—" No horse! Why don't you take the grey horse?"—"O quello, Signore, scappa via.(O that one, Gentleman, run off.)"—" Take then the black poney."—" E quello casca subito.(And that one falls quickly.)" So what with the horse that fell, and the horse that ran away, I fear Signior Clementi attended mass as seldom as you do a sermon.