Margaret Thatcher Quotes

262 Sourced Quotes

I am not sure what is meant by those who say that the Party should return to something called "One Nation Conservatism". As far as I can tell by their views on European federalism, such people's creed would be better described as "No Nation Conservatism".

Margaret Thatcher
We do not believe that if you cut back what government does you diminish its authority. On the contrary, a government that did less, and therefore did better, would strengthen its authority.

Margaret Thatcher
If my critics saw me walking over the Thames, they would say it was because I couldn't swim.

Margaret Thatcher
In church on Sunday morning—it was a lovely morning and we haven't had many lovely days—the sun was coming through a stained glass window and falling on some flowers, falling right across the church. It just occurred to me that this was the day I was meant not to see. Then all of a sudden I thought, 'there are some of my dearest friends who are not seeing this day.'
After the Brighton bombing

Margaret Thatcher
In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.

Margaret Thatcher
Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay.

Margaret Thatcher
I don't think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime.

Margaret Thatcher
We need our reason to teach us today that we are not, that we must not try to be, the lords of all we survey. We are not the lords, we are the Lord's creatures, the trustees of this planet, charged today with preserving life itself - preserving life with all its mystery and all its wonder.

Margaret Thatcher
They [Federalist European Politicians] divide their time between court room, prison and debating chamber - giving a whole new meaning to the term 'conviction politician'.

Margaret Thatcher
They are all a rotten lot. Schmidt and the Americans and we are the only people who would do any standing up and fighting if necessary.

Margaret Thatcher
You only have to wade through a metric measure or two of European prose, culled from its directives, circulars, reports, communiqués or what pass as debates in its 'parliament', and you will quickly understand that Europe is, in truth, synonymous with bureaucracy – to which one might add 'to', 'from' and 'with' bureaucracy if one were so minded.

Margaret Thatcher
Under a Labour government, there's virtually nowhere you can put your savings where they would be safe from the state.... If you put money in a sock they'd probably nationalize socks.

Margaret Thatcher
Some Socialists seem to believe that people should be numbers in a State computer. We believe they should be individuals. We are all unequal. No one, thank heavens, is like anyone else, however much the Socialists may pretend otherwise. We believe that everyone has the right to be unequal but to us every human being is equally important.

Margaret Thatcher
North Korea desperately needed the foreign currency which this lethal trade could bring; its role as chief 'rogue' reinforced its prestige among anti-Western states, near and far; and it could also hope at the right moment to extort new instalments of Danegeld from America and her allies.

Margaret Thatcher
We must have an ideology. The other side have got an ideology they can test their policies against. We must have one as well.

Margaret Thatcher
Freedom under the law must never be taken for granted.

Margaret Thatcher
Naturally, it is with some temerity that the pupil speaks before the master, because you know more about the Common Market than anybody.

Margaret Thatcher
If a Tory does not believe that private property is one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom, then he had better become a socialist and have done with it.

Margaret Thatcher
When you hold back the successful, you penalize those who need help.

Margaret Thatcher
What happened in Russia in 1917 wasn't a revolution - it was a coup d'etat.

Margaret Thatcher