Harold Wilson famous quotes

03-20-2025

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.
-- Harold Wilson

#Change #Teaching #Diversity
He who rejects change is the architect of decay.
-- Harold Wilson

#Acceptance #Rejection #Adoption
I believe the greatest asset a head of state can have is the ability to get a good night's sleep.
-- Harold Wilson

#Good Night #Believe #Sleep
The main essentials of a successful prime minister are sleep and a sense of history.
-- Harold Wilson

#Sleep #Successful #Political
A week is a long time in politics.
-- Harold Wilson

#Long #Politics #Week
Whichever party is in office, the Treasury is in power.
-- Harold Wilson

#Party #Office #Political
The labour party is like a stage-coach. If you rattle along at great speed everybody inside is too exhilarated or too seasick to cause any trouble. But if you stop everybody gets out and argues about where to go next.
-- Harold Wilson

#Party #Arguing #Trouble
I'm at my best in a messy, middle-of-the-road muddle.
-- Harold Wilson

#Middle #Messy
I get a little nauseated, perhaps, when I hear the phrase 'freedom of the press' used as freely as it is, knowing that a large part of our proprietorial press is not free at all.
-- Harold Wilson

#Knowing #Phrases #Littles
If I had the choice between smoked salmon and tinned salmon, I'd have it tinned. With vinegar.
-- Harold Wilson

#Choices #Salmon #Vinegar
Everybody should have an equal chance - but they shouldn't have a flying start.
-- Harold Wilson

#Flying #Chance #Should
With the ministry's motto 'Research on a Shoestring' emblazoned on his coat of arms, he has to struggle with a treasury more interested in surtax relief than national survival. [Responding to an earlier statement by British Science Minister, Lord Hailsham, that British scientists were being recruited by the U.S.]
-- Harold Wilson

#Struggle #Survival #Research
One man's wage increase is another man's price increase.
-- Harold Wilson

#Money #Men #Political
The Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing.
-- Harold Wilson

#Party #Political #Moral
Debating against him is no fun, say something insulting and he looks at you like a whipped dog.
-- Harold Wilson

#Sarcastic #Dog #Fun
The monarchy is a labor intensive industry.
-- Harold Wilson

#Monarchy #Labor
May I say, for the benefit of those who have been carried away by the gossip of the last few days, that I know what's going on. [pause] I'm going on, and the Labour government's going on.
-- Harold Wilson

#Government #Gossip #Benefits
From now on, the pound abroad is worth 14 per cent or so less in terms of other currencies. That doesn't mean, of course, that the Pound here in Britain, in your pocket or purse or in your bank, has been devalued.
-- Harold Wilson

#Mean #Pockets #Purses
The government have only a small majority in the House of Commons. I want to make it quite clear that this will not affect our ability to govern. Having been charged with the duties of Government we intend to carry out those duties.
-- Harold Wilson

#Government #House #Majority
On 5 September, when the TUC unanimously rejected wage restraint, it was the end of an era, and all the financiers, all the little gnomes in ZÃ¼rich and other finance centres about whom we keep on hearing, had started to make their dispositions in regard to sterling.
-- Harold Wilson

#Littles #Hearing #Eras
The office of president requires the constitution of an athlete, the patience of a mother, the endurance of an early Christian.
-- Harold Wilson

#Christian #Mother #Athlete
We are redefining and we are restating our Socialism in terms of the scientific revolution ... The Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or outdated methods on either side of industry.
-- Harold Wilson

#Science #Practice #White
All these financiers, all the little gnomes of ZÃ¼rich and the other financial centres, about whom we keep on hearing.
-- Harold Wilson

#Business #Littles #Hearing
This party is a bit like an old stagecoach. If you drive along at a rapid rate everyone aboard is either so exhilarated or so seasick that you don't have a lot of difficulty.
-- Harold Wilson

#Party #Political #Rapids
[Criticizing as "appalingly complacent" a Conservative Government report that by the '60s, Britain would be producing all the scientists needed] Of course we shall, if we don't give science its proper place in our national life. We shall no doubt be training all the bullfighters we need, because we don't use many.
-- Harold Wilson

#Science #Government #Giving
Every dog is allowed one bite, but a different view is taken of a dog that goes on biting all the time. He may not get his licence returned when it falls due.
-- Harold Wilson

#Dog #Fall #Taken
We are redefining and we are restating our socialism in terms of the scientific revolution
-- Harold Wilson

#Revolution #Socialism #Redefining
I'm an optimist, but I'm an optimist who takes his raincoat.
-- Harold Wilson

#Optimist
Given a fair wind, we will negotiate our way into the Common Market, head held high, not crawling in. Negotiations? Yes. Unconditional acceptance of whatever terms are offered us? No.
-- Harold Wilson

#Unconditional Love #Acceptance #Wind
In politics a week is a very long time.
-- Harold Wilson

#Time #Long #Politics

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