"I don’t want the new leader to make me parliamentary under-secretary for nuts and bolts."

Ken Clarke Politics See all quotes by Ken Clarke →

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“We are all in agreement about the principles of the national health service ...it should be provided free at the point of treatment, according to clinical need and largely funded out of taxation.”

“At the moment I save the House of Commons from having Dennis Skinner as father of the house by 25 minutes”

“If a Brexiteer majority still wishes to persist in leaving, once we have made some progress and it’s obvious we’re getting there, you can invoke Article 50 again and leave fairly rapidly. To me, that seems the only rational way in which we can precede. But common sense has gone out of the window.”

“The referendum is not binding.”

“I wouldn't reject it if it was the only way forward.”

“If the Conservative Party cannot think of anything else to do it has a leadership contest.”

Resonant Thoughts

"Whatever we are directed to pray for, we are also exhorted to work for; we are not permitted to mock Jehovah, asking that of Him which we deem not worth our pains to acquire."

— Elias Lyman Magoon

Religion1810–1886

#leadership

"Look at the movie 'Wag the Dog, I think this has all the elements of that movie. Our reaction to the embassy bombings should be based on sound, credible evidence, not a knee-jerk reaction to try to di…"

— Jim Gibbons

Politics1924–1997

#leadership

"I think people have to have some feeling that they have some role in shaping their own future and that they are not just spectators on the of kings, presidents, prime ministers and so on which is on t…"

— Tony Benn

Politics1925–2014

#time

"In the four quarters of the globe, who reads an American book? Or goes to an American play? or looks at an American picture or statue? What does the world yet owe to American physicians or surgeons? W…"

— Sydney Smith

Philosophy1927–2011

#books