Tony Blair famous quotes

I want my son to grow up in a place where the people are more powerful than the government and not the other way around.
-- Tony Blair

#Growing Up #Powerful #Son

Most of the problems of government come from people being overwhelmed by the size and scale of what they have to do.
-- Tony Blair

#Government #People #Size

Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on it.
-- Tony Blair

#World #Splits #Serious

Terrorism brings the reprisal; the reprisal brings the additional hatred; the additional hatred breeds the additional terrorism, and so on.
-- Tony Blair

#Hatred #Terrorism

September 11 was, and remains, above all an immense human tragedy. But September 11 also posed a momentous and deliberate challenge not just to America but to the world at large. The target of the terrorists was not only New York and Washington but the very values of freedom, tolerance and decency which underpin our way of life.
-- Tony Blair

#New York #America #Challenges

It is not an arrogant government that chooses priorities, it's an irresponsible government that fails to choose.
-- Tony Blair

#Government #Priorities #Arrogant

The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.
-- Tony Blair

#Motivational #Leadership #Art

Education is the best economic policy there is.
-- Tony Blair

#Economic #Policy

The first rule in politics is that there are no rules, at least not in the sense of inevitable defeats or inevitable victories. If you have the right policy and the right strategy, you always have a chance of winning. Without them, you can lose no matter how certain the victory seems.
-- Tony Blair

#Winning #Victory #Matter

I will do what it takes to help Ed Miliband win general election
-- Tony Blair

#Winning #Election #Helping

We know the problems.... and we know the solution; sustainable development. The issue is the political will
-- Tony Blair

#Future #Issues #Political

Be a doer and not a critic.
-- Tony Blair

#Doers #Critics

Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain Britain. So conform to it, or don't come here.
-- Tony Blair

#Tolerance #Britain #Conform

Those who wish to cause religious conflict are small in number but often manage to dominate the headline.
-- Tony Blair

#Religious #Numbers #Racism

So actually I only got a mobile phone the day after I left being Prime Minister.
-- Tony Blair

#Phones #Ministers #Prime

If we are going to carry on growing, and we will, because no country is going to forfeit its right to economic growth, we have to find a way of doing it sustainably.
-- Tony Blair

#Country #Growth #Growing

Anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police.
-- Tony Blair

#Law #People #Choices

Mine is the first generation able to contemplate the possibility that we may live our entire lives without going to war or sending our children to war.
-- Tony Blair

#Children #War #May

If you don't see the Internet as an opportunity, it will become a threat. In two or three year's time, the Internet will become as commonplace in the office as the telephone.
-- Tony Blair

#Opportunity #Years #Two

Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing.
-- Tony Blair

#Inspiring #Leadership #Winning

Ever so often in the history of human endeavour, there comes a breakthrough that takes humankind across a frontier into a new era. ... today's announcement is such a breakthrough, a breakthrough that opens the way for massive advancement in the treatment of cancer and hereditary diseases. And that is only the beginning.
-- Tony Blair

#Cancer #Science #Disease

I just want to say this. I want to say it gently but I want to say it firmly: There is a tendency for the world to say to America, ‘the big problems of the world are yours, you go and sort them out,’ and then to worry when America wants to sort them out.
-- Tony Blair

#America #Worry #World

I can only go one way. I've not got a reverse gear.
-- Tony Blair

#Way #Gears #Reverse

I cannot think of any circumstances in which a government can go to war without the support of parliament.
-- Tony Blair

#War #Thinking #Government

A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.
-- Tony Blair

#Country #Simple #Want

If we take all this actions and if it turns out not be true, we have reduced pollution and have better ways to live, the downside is very small. The other way around, and we don’t act, and it turns out to be true, then we have betrayed future generations and we don’t have the right to do that.
-- Tony Blair

#Betrayed #Way #Generations

My teachers used to call me a failure
-- Tony Blair

#Teacher #Used #Call Me

What is true about (ex-Iraq Survey Group head) David Kay's evidence, and this is something I have to accept, and is one of the reasons why I think we now need a new inquiry - it is true David Kay is saying we have not found large stockpiles of actual weapons.
-- Tony Blair

#Thinking #Iraq #Needs

It is absurd to say in respect of any intelligence that it is infallible, but if you ask me what I believe, I believe the intelligence was correct, and I think in the end we will have an explanation.
-- Tony Blair

#Believe #Thinking #Iraq

Repressive states are developing weapons that could cause destruction on a massive scale.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Weapons #Causes

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the intelligence was genuine.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Mind #Doubt

What we also know is we haven't found them [weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq - now let the survey group complete its work and give us the report... They will not report that there was no threat from Saddam, I don't believe.
-- Tony Blair

#Believe #Iraq #Giving

They could have been removed. They could have been hidden. They could have been destroyed.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq

We expected, I expected to find actual usable, chemical or biological weapons after we entered Iraq.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Weapons #Chemicals

The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons, as opposed to the capability to develop them, has turned out to be wrong. I acknowledge that and accept it. I simply point out, such evidence was agreed by the whole international community, not least because Saddam had used such weapons against his own people and neighbouring countries.
-- Tony Blair

#Country #Iraq #People

And the problem is, I can apologise for the information that turned out to be wrong, but I can't, sincerely at least, apologise for removing Saddam.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Information #Problem

The world is a better place with Saddam in prison not in power.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #World #Prison

The view we took at the time and we take it now is that the war was justified legally because he [Saddam Hussein] remained in breach of UN resolutions.
-- Tony Blair

#War #Iraq #Views

Before people crow about the absence of weapons of mass destruction, I suggest they wait a bit.
-- Tony Blair

#Wmd #People #Waiting

I don't think it's surprising we will have to look for them. I'm confident that when the Iraq Survey Group has done its work we will find what's happened to those weapons because he had them.
-- Tony Blair

#Thinking #Iraq #Looks

The Iraq Survey Group has already found massive evidence of a huge system of clandestine laboratories, workings by scientists, plans to develop long range ballistic missiles.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Long #Groups

I have absolutely no doubt at all that we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction programmes.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Doubt #Weapons

We expected, I expected to find actual usable, chemical or biological weapons after we entered Iraq. But I have to accept, as the months have passed, it seems increasingly clear that at the time of invasion, Saddam did not have stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons ready to deploy.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Invasion #Weapons

Enough of talking. It is time now to do.
-- Tony Blair

#Talking #Action #Enough

She was the people's princess and that is how she will stay, how she will remain in our hearts and our memories for ever.
-- Tony Blair

#Memories #Princess #Heart

I haven't got the time to sit here arguing with someone whose idea of a coherent foreign policy is what comes up in Google when you type in peace!
-- Tony Blair

#Ideas #America #Google

...we must support and protect individuals and companies engaged in life saving medical research
-- Tony Blair

#Animal #Support #Research

Your loss we count as our loss. Your struggle we take as our struggle.
-- Tony Blair

#Struggle #Loss #History

Make the wrong choices now and future generations will live with a changed climate, depleted resources and without the green space and biodiversity that contribute both to our standard of living and our quality of life
-- Tony Blair

#Space #Choices #Quality

Surely we have the wit and will to develop economically without despoiling the very environment we depend upon
-- Tony Blair

#Environment #Wit

Real progress cannot be measured by money alone. We must ensure that economic growth contributes to our quality of life, rather than degrading it
-- Tony Blair

#Real #Growth #Quality

Do I know I'm right? Judgments aren't the same as facts. Instinct is not science. I'm like any other human being, as fallible and as capable of being wrong. I only know what I believe.
-- Tony Blair

#Believe #Facts #Judgment

The big issue of our time is trying to deal with extremism based on a perversion of religion and how you get peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths and cultures.
-- Tony Blair

#Issues #People #Peaceful

There are unquestionably links between al Qaida and Iraq.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Links #Als

We are asked now seriously to accept that in the last few years-contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence-Saddam decided unilaterally to destroy those weapons. I say that such a claim is palpably absurd.
-- Tony Blair

#Years #Iraq #Weapons

As I have said throughout, I have no doubt that they will find the clearest possible evidence of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq #Doubt #Weapons

I don't concede it at all that the intelligence at the time was wrong.
-- Tony Blair

#Iraq

It's not a burning ambition for me to make sure that David Beckham earns less money.
-- Tony Blair

#Ambition #Burning #Beckham

This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today
-- Tony Blair

#Our World #Evil #Today

I can stand here today, leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister, and say to the British people: you have never had it so ... prudent.
-- Tony Blair

#Party #People #Leader

Sovereignty rests with me as an English MP and that's the way it will stay.
-- Tony Blair

#Mps #Way #Sovereignty

If there are further steps to European integration, the people should have their say at a general election or in a referendum.
-- Tony Blair

#People #Steps #Election

I can't stand politicians who wear God on their sleeves.
-- Tony Blair

#Politician #Sleeves

I want to see a publicly-owned railway, publicly accountable.
-- Tony Blair

#Want #Railway

We have no plans to increase tax at all.
-- Tony Blair

#Increase #Taxes #Plans

I shall not rest until, once again, the destinies of our people and our party are joined together again in victory at the next general election Labour in its rightful place in government again.
-- Tony Blair

#Party #Destiny #Government

I actually did trouble to read Marx first hand. I found it illuminating in so many ways; in particular, my perception of the relationship between people and the society in which they live was irreversibly altered
-- Tony Blair

#Hands #People #Perception

I believe the bicentenary offers us a chance not just to say how profoundly shameful the slave trade was - how we condemn its existence utterly and praise those who fought for its abolition - but also to express our deep sorrow that it could ever have happened and rejoice at the better times we live in today
-- Tony Blair

#Believe #Sorrow #Today

Sometimes, and in particular dealing with a dictator, the only chance of peace is a readiness for war.
-- Tony Blair

#War #Chance #Dictator

It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American argument or parody their political leadership.
-- Tony Blair

#Intelligent #Europe #Political

I think I made the wrong career choice
-- Tony Blair

#Thinking #Careers #Choices

We are all internationalists now, whether we like it or not
-- Tony Blair

Today the impulse towards interdependence is immeasurably greater. We are witnessing the beginnings of a new doctrine of international community
-- Tony Blair

#Community #Today #Doctrine

I'm the ***** Prime Minister!
-- Tony Blair

#Prime #Ministers #Prime Minister

The fear of missing out means today's media, more than ever before, hunts in a pack. In these modes it is like a feral beast, just tearing people and reputations to bits. But no-one dares miss out.
-- Tony Blair

#Mean #Media #People

That's the art of leadership. To make sure that what shouldn't happen, doesn't happen.
-- Tony Blair

#Art

In this day and age if you've got the technology then it's vital to use that technology to track people down. The number on the database should be the maximum number you can get.
-- Tony Blair

#Technology #Numbers #People

We can only protect liberty by making it relevant to the modern world.
-- Tony Blair

#Liberty #World #Modern

Yes, I did have to struggle very hard to get this [the vote on the Iraq war] through, but the reason I did it was because I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't take this on myself... just because I thought, 'Let's give myself a really hard time for a couple of years!
-- Tony Blair

#Couple #War #Struggle

What we have got to do now is use this event, the resignation of the whole commission, to drive through root and branch reform.
-- Tony Blair

#Roots #Use #Branches

I don't like it, to be honest, when politicians make a big thing of their religious beliefs, so I don't make a big thing of it.
-- Tony Blair

#Religious #Religion #Honest

There is no doubt as to what needs to happen. There has to be a complete rejection of the type of terrorist attacks carried out in India.
-- Tony Blair

#Rejection #Doubt #Needs

There has to be certainty and there has to be clarity. There can't be ambiguity, .. This has to be certain, clear in all respects from all the parties so nobody is in any doubt about what the future holds.
-- Tony Blair

#Party #Doubt #Clarity

Self-interest and mutual interest are inextricably linked. National interests can best be advanced through collective action, ... Calculate not just the human misery of the poor themselves. Calculate our loss: The aid, the lost opportunity to trade, the short-term consequences of the multiple conflicts; the long-term consequences on the attitude to the wealthy world of injustice and abject deprivation amongst the poor.
-- Tony Blair

#Attitude #Loss #Opportunity

I abhor Saddam's regime, but the basis has to be disarmament.
-- Tony Blair

#Regimes #Bases #Disarmament

We know British Muslims in general abhor the actions of the extremists.
-- Tony Blair

#Action #British #Extremist

When Europe and America stand together the world is a better and more prosperous place.
-- Tony Blair

#America #Europe #Together

All the way through, we have been willing to take risks, provided at the end of it we can get a decent lasting settlement in Northern Ireland
-- Tony Blair

#Risk #Way #Ends

The spread of freedom is the best security for the free.
-- Tony Blair

#Spread #Security

There will be no peace in our world without an understanding of the place of religion within it.
-- Tony Blair

#Our World #Understanding #World

The great advantage of the Lib Dems is precisely that no-one knows what they stand for
-- Tony Blair

#Advantage

Terrorist threats are not happening just in this country, but in every European country and every country across the globe. As a result of that, we do sometimes have to take measures we would rather not take in order to give us the security we need.
-- Tony Blair

#Country #Order #Giving

I think all of our experience with (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein teaches us that diplomacy has very little chance of working unless it is clear to him that if diplomacy does not work, that the threatened reality of force is there,.
-- Tony Blair

#Reality #Thinking #President

I am absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and as prime minister and to endorse him fully.
-- Tony Blair

#Party #Giving #Support

There should not be a party within a party.
-- Tony Blair

#Party #Should

The jolt that Tony Blair received 35,000ft above the Pacific Ocean was not normal turbulence.
-- Tony Blair

#Ocean #Normal #Blair

Deportation is a decision taken by the home secretary under statute, The new grounds will include fostering hatred, advocating violence to further a person's beliefs, or justifying or validating such violence.
-- Tony Blair

#Taken #Home #Hatred

Now you may do it badly, you may do it well, some people like you, some people hate you, all the rest of it - but you have got a real motivating life purpose. [on being Prime Minister
-- Tony Blair

#Real #Hate #People

The appalling details of the campaign of intimidation - which include grave-robbing - show the depths to which the animal extremists are prepared to stoop.
-- Tony Blair

#Animal #Details #Campaigns

If there is one thing Britain should learn from the last 50 years, it is this: Europe can only get more important for us.
-- Tony Blair

#Years #Europe #Important