He’s [previous prime minister] treacherous, malevolent and vile. ibid. Jim to Sir Humphrey, with Bernard
They’re coming here for the politics. This is a working funeral. ibid. Jim to Annie
If only his friends came to the funeral, we wouldn’t even fill the vestry. ibid. Jim to Annie
The French government never knows what French security is doing. ibid. French president
Bernard: What is actually happening?
Jim: Well nothing yet. Yes, Prime Minister s2e4: A Conflict of Interest
Ignorance is safety. ibid. Sir Desmond to Sir Humphrey
It is necessary to get behind someone before you stab them in the back. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
Secretary of the Treasury: We think it’s about time that the Governor of the Bank of England is known to be both intelligent and competent.
Sir Humphrey: Well it would certainly be an innovation. ibid.
Nobody knows who their counsellor is. Yes, Prime Minister s2e5: Power to the People, Jim to Bernard
This money isn’t like the rates; it’s spent on what people actually want it spent on. ibid. Jim to Annie
Once you create genuinely democratic local communities it won’t stop there. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
Since 1832 we have been gradually excluding the voter from government. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
No government is going to reform the system that put it into power. ibid. Sir Arnold to Sir Humphrey
I think we’re all agreed that the nation isn’t quite ready for total democracy. ibid. Jim to Sir Humphrey, with political adviser
Your speeches are nothing like as embarrassing as they used to be. Yes, Prime Minister s2e6: The Patron of the Arts, Sir Humphrey to Jim, with Bernard
Most government expenditure is symbolic. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Jim, with Bernard
We can’t really defend ourselves against the Russians with a performance of Henry V. ibid. Jim to cocktail party guests
What have I got the power to do? Yes, Prime Minister s2e7: The National Education Service, Jim
If he can’t ignore facts, he’s got no business being a politician. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
The only people who will like this idea are the parents and the children. Everyone who counts will be against it. ibid. Sir Arnold to Sir Humphrey
Honesty always gives you the advantage of surprise in the House of Commons. Yes, Prime Minister s2e8: The Tangled Web, Jim to Sir Humphrey, with Bernard
Talking directly to the French is regarded as prima facie an act of treason by the Foreign Office. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Jim, with Bernard
Nobody tells the truth about unemployment. ibid. Sir Humphrey, Ludovic Kennedy radio show after-chat recorded
Perhaps you should put out a press statement expressing sympathy for the unemployed. Well you might be joining them any moment. ibid. Bernard to Sir Humphrey
The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return. Gore Vidal
The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Life in general has never been even close to fair, so the pretence that the government can make it fair is a valuable and inexhaustible asset to politicians who want to expand government. Thomas Sowell
The worst things in this world next to anarchy is government. Henry Ward Beecher
Every class is unfit to govern. Lord Acton, 1834-1902
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton
A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed. Rene Descartes
To rule is easy, to govern difficult. Rene Descartes
The rule
Of the many is not well. One must be chief
In war and one the king. Homer, The Iliad II:253
It’s amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering people yourself is compassion. Voting for our government to use guns to give money to help poor and suffering people is immoral, self-righteous, bullying laziness. Penn Jillette
Are you really willing to trust the government workers to end someone’s life? What is the government good at? Penn & Teller, Bullshit! s4e3: The Death Penalty, Showtime 2006
The great and chief end, therefore, of men’s uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property. John Locke, Second Treatise of Civil Government
Day-labourers and tradesmen, the spinsters and dairymaids ... the greatest part cannot know and therefore they must believe. John Locke, cited Chomsky
I believe that the role of limited government should be looking after the needs of veterans, the elderly, children and those institutions that improve the quality of life for struggling families – I don’t believe that government should bend to serve the needs of subsidized multinational corporations and entitled billionaires. Moby
Government is an association of men who do violence to the rest of us. Leo Tolstoy
If you can’t say fuck, you can’t say fuck the government. Lenny Bruce
It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. Ansel Adams
It is not the function of the government to stop the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error. Justice Robert Jackson, judge at Nuremberg trial
The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them in parliament. Vladimir Lenin
And we know now that government by organised money is just as dangerous as government by organised mob. Theodore Roosevelt
Witnessing government performance to date many people believe that returning the full power to create money to corrupt incompetent politicians will not only fail to solve our problems it would be the height of insanity. Paul Grignon, Money as Debt III: Evolution Beyond Money, 2006
Government is the only thing that stands in the way of serfdom. PSTV.tv – Bill Still Interview
£692 billion: now there are seven big budgets which make up more than three-quarters of all government spending ... Transport, Law & Order, Defence, Debt Interest, Education, Health, Social Security £194 billion. Nick Robinson, Your Money and How They Spend It I BBC 2011
The government works for a private bank, and the private bank works for its owners – the true masters. Catherine Austin Fitts, Assistant Secretary of Housing
Anger is wonderful. It keeps you going. I’m angry about bankers. About the government. Terry Pratchett
Today in Britain the government spends more than all private individuals and companies put together. Martin Durkin, Britain’s Trillion Pound Horror Story, Channel 4 2010
Today in Britain the public sector is bigger than the private sector. ibid.
In the next five years annual government spending will climb from £697 billion to £757 billion. ibid.
We now have a national debt of £4.8 trillion. ibid.
Counted out in £50 notes our national debt would form a stack no less than 6,561 miles. Or to put it another way, if we sold off all the houses and flats in the whole of the UK, we would still be the best part of a trillion pounds short of paying our debt. ibid.