Harold Macmillan Quotes

It’s no use crying over spilt summits.

It is the duty of Her Majesty’s government neither to flap nor to falter.

It has been said that there is no fool like an old fool, except a young fool. But the young fool has first to grow up to be an old fool to realize what a damn fool he was when he was a young fool.

If you don’t believe in God, all you have to believe in is decency. Decency is very good. Better decent than indecent. But I don’t think it’s enough.

If people want a sense of purpose they should get it from their archbishop. They should certainly not get it from their politicians.

I was determined that no British government should be brought down by the action of two tarts.

I was a sort of son to Ike, and it was the other way round with Kennedy.

I read a great number of press reports and find comfort in the fact that they are nearly always conflicting.

I have never found, in a long experience of politics, that criticism is ever inhibited by ignorance.

Britain’s most useful role is somewhere between bee and dinosaur.

At home, you always have to be a politician; when you’re abroad, you almost feel yourself a statesman.

As usual the Liberals offer a mixture of sound and original ideas. Unfortunately none of the sound ideas is original and none of the original ideas is sound.

(A Foreign Secretary) is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion.