Scottish Politician Quotes

Alex Salmond

Compton Mackenzie

George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll

Keir Hardie

John Witherspoon

Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun

Tom Johnston

We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth. The people who live in Scotland are best placed to make the decisions that affect Scotland. We want a Scotland that's greener, that's fairer and more prosperous. We realise that the power of an independent Scotland is necessary to achieve these great ends... By the time we enter the referendum campaign in autumn 2014, our intention is to have one million Scots who have signed the independence for Scotland declaration. Friends, if we achieve that, then we shall win an independent Scotland.

I have become…uneasy lest we should get political power without our first having, or at least simultaneously having, an adequate economy to administer. What purport would there be in our getting a Scots parliament in Edinburgh if it has to administer an emigration system, a glorified Poor Law, and a graveyard!

When I want to use a quotation, I can very seldom do it properly, as the difficulty arises where to look for it in order to work it up.

Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar

From his childhood onward this boy [the future Edward VIII] will be surrounded by sycophants and flatterers by the score—[Cries of 'Oh, oh!']—and will be taught to believe himself as of a superior creation. [Cries of 'Oh, oh!'] A line will be drawn between him and the people whom he is to be called upon some day to reign over. In due course, following the precedent which has already been set, he will be sent on a tour round the world, and probably rumours of a morganatic alliance will follow—[Loud cries of 'Oh, oh!' and 'Order!']—and the end of it all will be that the country will be called upon to pay the bill. [Cries of Divide!]

Beer does not taste like itself unless it is chasing a dram of neat whisky down the gullet - preferably two drams

Compton Mackenzie

Lord have mercy on my poor country that is so barbarously oppressed.

Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun

The West-Lothian-West-Bromwich problem pinpoints a basic design fault in the steering of the devolutionary coach which will cause it to crash into the side of the road.

Infernal Gods, who rule the Shades below,
Chaos and Phlegethon, ye Realms of Woe,
Grant what I've heard I may to light expose,
Secrets which Earth, and Night, and Hell inclose.

Richard Maitland, 4th Earl of Lauderdale

I think I see our ancient Mother Caledonia, like Caesar, sitting in the midst of our senate, ruefully looking round her, covering herself with her royal garment; attending the fatal blow.

Opposing the Union with England

John Hamilton, Lord Belhaven

It is only the fear of God, can deliver us from the fear of man.

John Witherspoon

I think the greatest problem we have is that we will sing Flower of Scotland at Hampden or Murrayfield, and that we have too many 90-minute patriots.

The System of Nature in which we live impresses itself on the mind as one System. It is under this impression that we speak of it as the Universe.

George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll

Time after time, on matters great and small, we are still standing on the sidelines, mutely accepting what is decided elsewhere instead of raising our voices and making our own choices. Scotland's much vaunted partnership of Jonah and the whale.