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Mountbatten had been engaged in an audacious plot to overthrow the prime minister [Harold Wilson] he was now glad-handling. Lord Mountbatten: Hero or Villain? Channel 5 2020
Wars make prime ministers popular. Tony Blair
My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive. Boris Johnson, interview US television, cited Daily Telegraph 16 July 2007
Robert Walpole ... In effect Britain’s first Prime Minister. And under his leadership the British economy boomed as never before. Walpole’s appeal was to shameless self-interest. Simon Schama, A History of Britain: Britannia Incorporated, BBC 2000
Mr Speaker, members of the House, I shall be brief as I have rather unfortunately become prime minister right in the middle of my exams. I look forward to fulfilling my duty in a manner which nanny would be proud. Blackadder s3e1: Dish & Dishonesty, Pitt the Younger, BBC 1987
Meet the new Member of Parliament for Dunny-on-the-Wold. Precisely, sir. Our slogan shall be a rotten candidate for a rotten borough. Baldrick, I want you to go back to your kitchen sink, you see, and prepare for government. ibid. Blackadder to Prince, with Baldrick
He [Walpole] still remains the longest serving prime minister. He created the office. Monarchy by David Starkey s3e4: Empire, Channel 4 2006
One fact about India is that you can take almost anything you hear about the country from the prime minister and turn it upside down and then you will have the truth about that thing. Aravind Adiga, White Tiger p13
No woman in my time will be Prime Minister or Chancellor or Foreign Secretary – not the top jobs. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to be Prime Minister. You have to give yourself 100%. Margaret Thatcher, cited Sunday Telegraph 26th October 1969
The prime minister should be intimidating – there’s not much point in being a weak floppy thing in the chair, is there? Margaret Thatcher
In Britain? There will be no female prime minister here, not in my lifetime, no. The Iron Lady 2011 starring Meryl Streep & Alexandra Roach & Jim Broadbent & Harry Lloyd & Anthony Head & Richard E Grant & Iain Glen & Olivia Colman & Nicholas Farrell & Susan Brown & Martin Wimbush et al, director Phyllida Lloyd
The office of prime minister is what its holder chooses and is able to make of it. Herbert Asquith
The model of a modern Prime Minister would be a kind of grotesque composite freak – someone with the dedication to duty of a Peel, the physical energy of a Gladstone, the detachment of a Salisbury, the brains of an Asquith, the balls of a Lloyd George, the word-power of a Churchill, the administrative gifts of an Attlee, the style of a Macmillan, the managerialism of a Heath, and the sleep requirements of a Thatcher. Human beings do not come like that. Peter Hennessy, The Hidden Writing 1995
Since 1735 a terraced house in Whitehall has been the residence of a remarkable succession of British prime ministers. Michael Cockerell, The Secret World of Whitehall 2/3: Behind the Black Door, BBC 2011
The Number 10 flat in the attic is far from grand. ibid.
By tradition that prime minister’s chair is the only one with arms. ibid.
There’s no written constitutional definition of the job of prime minister. ibid.
Heath soon ran into a range of economic and trade union problems. ibid.
Callaghan said he saw himself as Moses. ibid.
Hezza was the first minister to walk out of Cabinet in a hundred years. ibid.
Blair had brought in a slew of other advisers to Number 10. ibid.
The wars were to weaken Blair, and hasten his departure from Number Ten. ibid.
Brown became increasingly indecisive in Number Ten. ibid.
Cameron was determined to run Number Ten very differently from Blair and Brown. ibid.
The prime minister giveth and the prime minister taketh away; blessed be the name of the prime minister. Yes, Minister s1e1: Open Government, Sir Humphrey, BBC 1980
You know the PM’s motto? In defeat, malice. In victory, revenge. Yes, Minister s1e5: The Writing on the Wall, PM’s political adviser to Sir Humphrey
We did once get through to the Kremlin but only to a switchboard operator. Yes, Prime Minister: Grand Design s1e1, civil servant
It’s only the new ones that don’t work, the others are fine. ibid. Bernard
Everything you’ve always read in the paper about how hard the prime minister has to work is a bit of a myth really. Yes, Prime Minister s1e2: The Ministerial Broadcast, Bernard to Jim
We have a magic wand. It is called Trident. Nobody understands anything about it except that it will cost £15 billion which means it must be wonderful, magical. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
Bernard: I think he wants to govern Britain.
Sir Humphrey: Well stop him, Bernard. ibid.
Don’t let the teleprompter turn you into a zombie. OK? ibid. Director Godfrey to Jim, with Bernard
Prime Minister, how would you feel about a little dental work? ibid.
Sir Humphrey: You can prove anything with statistics.
Jim: Even the truth. Yes, Prime Minister: The Smoke Screen s1e3
Smokers are national benefactors. ibid. Sir Humphrey to Jim
Dying of lung cancer can seriously damage your health. ibid. Bernard to Jim & Health Minister
Let me be absolutely honest with you … ibid. Jim to Health Minister
We are here to see that the prime minister is not confused. Politicians are simple people, Bernard. Yes, Prime Minister: The Key s1e4, Sir Humphrey
I couldn’t stop him [Sir Humphrey]. He’s bigger than me. ibid. Bernard to Jim
Take his key away from him. ibid. Jim to Bernard
Open this door! ... You’ll pay for this! Open the bloody door! ibid. Sir Humphrey to Bernard
You mean you’ve lost your key. ibid. Jim to Sir Humphrey
It’s my decision. Isn’t it, Humphrey? ibid.
Being an MP is a vast subsidised ego trip. Yes, Prime Minister s1e5: A Real Partnership, Jim to Annie, with Bernard
Do you think I am a complete idiot? ibid. Jim to Sir Humphrey, with Bernard
All that pro-British defending democracy nonsense. Yes, Prime Minister s1e6: A Victory for Democracy, civil servant to Sir Humphrey
Facts complicate things. ibid. Sir Humphrey
It’s safer to be heartless than mindless. Yes, Prime Minister s1e7: The Bishop’s Gambit, Sir Humphrey to Jim, with Bernard
There’s a vacancy in the diocese of Bury St Edmunds. ibid. Bernard to Jim
The Church is looking for a candidate to maintain the balance. Between those who believe in God and those who don’t. ibid. Sir Humphrey at Balliol
Our policy is not to have a policy. ibid. Jim to Sir Humphrey, with Bernard