British Politician Quotes

But I must not go on singling out names. One must not be a name-dropper, as Her Majesty remarked to me yesterday.

Norman St John-Stevas

Wine has made me bold, but not foolish; has induced me to say silly things, but not do them.

Denis Healey: Can he assure us there is no question of American military intervention as this could only make the situation worse?
Sir Geoffrey Howe: There is no question of that.

Each successive Labour Government has been the most rapacious, doctrinaire and unpatriotic conspiracy to be seen this side of the Iron Curtain.

Under David Cameron, we have this situation where you now need more qualifications to work as a shift manager at McDonald's than to become a teacher.

O worship the King, all-glorious above;
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise.

It is never wise to appear to be more clever than you are. It is sometimes wise to appear slightly less so.

William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw

Despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have died — and that is a tragedy — I still believe that it was the right thing to do.

The people of this country are not idle. Let no man tell me this, when I see a peasant from Connaught going over to reap the harvest in England.

I have principles and I am not going to be forced to compromise them.

You can't think rationally on an empty stomach, and a whole lot of people can't do it on a full stomach either.

John Reith, 1st Baron Reith

We want the mathematical genius - there is work for him. We want the literary genius - there is work for him, especially in my office. We want the scientific brain - there is more than enough work for him. We want the man of brains and we want the man of common sense and little brain. We want the man of initiative and the man of action, the methodical man and even the crank. We open our ranks widely to all.

Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard

The Empire of China is an old, crazy, first-rate Man of War, which a fortunate succession of able and vigilant officers have contrived to keep afloat for these hundred and fifty years past, and to overawe their neighbours merely by her bulk and appearance. But whenever an insufficient man happens to have the command on deck, adieu to the discipline and safety of the ship. She may, perhaps, not sink outright; she may drift some time as a wreck, and will then be dashed to pieces on the shore; but she can never be rebuilt on the old bottom.

George Macartney

A long line of cases shows that it is not merely of some importance, but is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.

You are ordered abroad as a soldier of the King to help our French comrades against the invasion of a common enemy…In this new experience you may find temptations both in wine and women. You must entirely resist both temptations, and, while treating all women with perfect courtesy, you should avoid any intimacy. Do your duty bravely. Fear God. Honour the King.

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 tendency everywhere in America to concentrate power and responsibility in one man is unmistakable.

Of British Cabinet government:

I don't think collective responsibility is a myth. I think it is a reality. It is cumbersome. It is difficult. It has all sorts of disadvantages and it is possible it may need to change [...] probably under any of these systems it is going to be a bit of a shambles. But I do think it has got to be, so far as possible, a democratic and accountable shambles.

John Hunt, Baron Hunt of Tanworth

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

Maurice Edelman

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.

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

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

It's a great honour for me; it's such an important job.

I am an Orangeman first and a politician and member of this parliament [Stormont] afterwards.

James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon

[National Socialism] has survived the flames of war and the tempest of vilification because, when war has done its worst and vilification has run its entire gamut, National Socialism remains, in the final analysis, synonymous with higher man's will to survive, his instinct for health and strength, and his desire for beauty in life; and, as long as that will, that instinct, and that desire remain on this earth, the creed of National Socialism will remain, indestructible.

From the days when the miners' leaders thought they owned the Government to the day when every miner owns part of his own mine – that's the British revolution.

Cecil Parkinson