The Best Margaret Thatcher quotes

The government has no money of its own. It’s all your money. — Margaret Thatcher

No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well. — Margaret Thatcher

Let us never forget this fundamental truth: The State has no source of money other than the money people themselves earn. — Margaret Thatcher

I have the money and they won’t get their hands on it. — Margaret Thatcher

It is your tax which pays for public spending. The government have no money of their own. There is only taxpayers’ money. — Margaret Thatcher

It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake. — Margaret Thatcher

Under a Labour government, there’s virtually nowhere you can put your savings where they would be safe from the state. … If you put money in a sock they’d probably nationalize socks. — Margaret Thatcher

Every family should have the right to spend their money, after tax, as they wish, and not as the government dictates. Let us extend choice, extend the will to choose and the chance to choose. — Margaret Thatcher

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples’ money. — Margaret Thatcher

Socialists are happy until they run out of other people’s money. — Margaret Thatcher

We should not underestimate the enormity of the task which lies ahead. But little can be achieved without sound money. It is the bedrock of sound government. — Margaret Thatcher

Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money. It’s quite a characteristic of them. — Margaret Thatcher

It’s a funny old world. — Margaret Thatcher

A world without nuclear weapons would be less stable and more dangerous for all of us. — Margaret Thatcher

Russia is bent on world domination. — Margaret Thatcher

Why in the world anyone in America is allowing another language (other than English) to be his first… I don’t know — Margaret Thatcher

During my lifetime most of the problems the world has faced have come, in one fashion or another, from mainland Europe and the solution from outside it. — Margaret Thatcher

There are no personal sympathies in politics. — Margaret Thatcher

I’ve learned one thing in politics. You don’t take a decision until you have to. — Margaret Thatcher

The acid test of politics is not what you say at the hustings, but what you actually do in government. — Margaret Thatcher

There are some remarkable parallels between basketball and politics. Michael Jordan has already mastered the skill most needed for political success: how to stay aloft without visible means of support. — Margaret Thatcher

I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end good will triumph. — Margaret Thatcher

We are not in politics to ignore peoples’ worries, we are in politics to deal with them. — Margaret Thatcher

Remember, George, this is no time to go wobbly. — Margaret Thatcher

It must be a conviction Government. As Prime Minister I could not waste time having internal arguments. — Margaret Thatcher

If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing. — Margaret Thatcher

The Nuremburg trials were attacked at the time as ‘victor’s justice’. And this is precisely what they were–and were intended to be. — Margaret Thatcher

It pays to know the enemy–not least because at some time you may have the opportunity to turn him into a friend. — Margaret Thatcher

Everything a politician promises at election time has to be paid for either by higher taxation or by borrowing. — Margaret Thatcher

Socialists have always spent much of their time seeking new titles for their beliefs, because the old versions so quickly become outdated and discredited. — Margaret Thatcher

I might have preferred iron–but bronze will do. It won’t rust. This time I hope, the head will stay on. — Margaret Thatcher

The secret of happiness is to live within your income and pay your bills on time. — Margaret Thatcher

Leadership is about having principles. A leader must have a vision and principles that will endure for all time and must always be true to these principles, applying them to changing circumstances — Margaret Thatcher

I exercise my right as a free citizen to spend my own money in my own way, so that I can go on the day, the time, to the doctor I choose and get out fast. — Margaret Thatcher

Good Conservatives always pay their bills. And on time. Not like the Socialists who run up other people’s bills. — Margaret Thatcher

The price of freedom is still, and always will be, eternal vigilance. — Margaret Thatcher

History has taught us that freedom cannot long survive unless it is based on moral foundations. You can get the economics right, but in addition liberty must be cultivated as a moral quality. — Margaret Thatcher

Marxists get up early to further their cause. We must get up even earlier to defend our freedom. — Margaret Thatcher

The messages on our banners in 1979–freedom, opportunity, family, enterprise, ownership–are now inscribed on the banners in Leipzig, Warsaw, Budapest and even Moscow. — Margaret Thatcher

All the general propositions favouring freedom I had .. imbibed at my father’s knee or acquired by candle–end reading of Burke and Hayek… — Margaret Thatcher

The desire to achieve grand utopian plans often poses a grave threat to freedom. — Margaret Thatcher

We intend freedom and justice to conquer. Yes, we do have a creed and we wish others to share it. But it is not part of our policy to impose our beliefs by force or threat of force. — Margaret Thatcher

Freedom under the law must never be taken for granted. — Margaret Thatcher

The election of a man committed to the cause of freedom and the renewal of America’s strength has given encouragement to all those who love liberty. — Margaret Thatcher

If you want to get something said in the politics tell a man. If you want to get something done in the politics tell a woman — Margaret Thatcher

If a woman like Eva Peron with no ideals can get that far, think how far I can go with the ideals that I have. — Margaret Thatcher

I don’t think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime. — Margaret Thatcher

There is a nonsense about intelligent women not being beautiful. — Margaret Thatcher

Forget that I’m a woman. Forget the accusations that I am a Right Winger demanding privilege–I had precious little privilege in my early years. — Margaret Thatcher

Once a woman is made man’s equal, she becomes his superior. — Margaret Thatcher

Had I faltered we would have neither the success nor the international reputation we have. Yet when a woman is strong she is strident. If a man is strong, he’s a good guy. — Margaret Thatcher

If you want something spoken about, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman. — Margaret Thatcher

Most women defend themselves. It is the female of the species–it is the tigress and lioness in you which tends to defend when attacked. — Margaret Thatcher

When I look at him [Edward Heath] and he looks at me, I don’t feel that it is a man looking at a woman. More like a woman being looked at by another woman. — Margaret Thatcher

Most women are far more intelligent than people give them credit for. — Margaret Thatcher

Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country. — Margaret Thatcher

In those days one advantage of being a woman was that there was a basic courtesy towards us on which we could draw–something which today’s feminists have largely dissipated. — Margaret Thatcher

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 percent. — Margaret Thatcher

It is one of the great weaknesses of reasonable men and women that they imagine that projects which fly in the face of commonsense are not serious or being seriously undertaken. — Margaret Thatcher

Women have plenty of roles in which they can serve with distinction: some of us even run countries. But generally we are better at wielding the handbag than the bayonet. — Margaret Thatcher

I hope we shall see more ande more women combining marriage and a career. Prejudice against this dual role is not confined to men. I regret to say, it comes from our own sex. — Margaret Thatcher

I have never knowingly made a non–controversial speech in my life. — Margaret Thatcher

I started out in life with two great advantages: No money and good parents. — Margaret Thatcher

She lives on the fumes of whiskey and the iron in the blood of her prey. — Hilary Mantel

Is there conscience in the Kremlin? Do they ever ask themselves what is the purpose of life? What is it all for?… No. Their creed is barren of conscience, immune to the promptings of good and evil. — Margaret Thatcher

I believe our way of life is infinitely superior for every human being than any which the Communist creed can offer. — Margaret Thatcher

I wouldn’t be worth my salt if I weren’t attracting some controversy and criticism. Everyone in the world who has done something in life has attracted criticism. — Margaret Thatcher

When government does its job properly people are free to do theirs. — Margaret Thatcher

Choice is the essence of ethics: if there were no choice there would be no ethics, no good, no evil; good and evil have meaning only insofar as man is free to choose. — Margaret Thatcher

America, my friends, is the only country in the world actually founded on liberty–the only one. People went to America to be free. — Margaret Thatcher

Life in a free society…is heaven on earth to life in a socialist society such as Russia. — Margaret Thatcher

To be free is better than to be unfree–always. Any politician who suggests the opposite should be treated as suspect. — Margaret Thatcher

For every idealistic peacemaker willing to renounce his self–defence in favour of a weapons–free world, there is at least one warmaker anxious to exploit the other’s good intentions. — Margaret Thatcher

The community gives us peace and security in a free society, a peace and security denied to The past two generations. — Margaret Thatcher

In a system of free trade and free markets poor countries–and poor people–are not poor because others are rich. Indeed, if others became less rich the poor would in all probability become still poorer. — Margaret Thatcher

Do you think you would ever have heard of Christianity if the Apostles had gone out and said, ‘I believe in consensus?’ — Margaret Thatcher

Never believe that technology alone will allow America to prevail as a superpower. — Margaret Thatcher

There are still people in my party who believe in consensus politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors… I mean it. — Margaret Thatcher

It’s passionately interesting for me that the things that I learned in a small town, in a very modest home, are just the things that I believe have won the election. — Margaret Thatcher

If you have a sense of purpose and a sense of direction, I believe people will follow you. Democracy isn’t just about deducing what the people want. Democracy is leading the people as well. — Margaret Thatcher

Ronald Reagan knew his own mind. He had firm principles–and, I believe, right ones. He expounded them clearly, he acted upon them decisively. — Margaret Thatcher

The Kosovo campaign was a just and necessary war. And I believe that Blair–of whom I have many criticisms–in this case showed real determination in conducting it. — Margaret Thatcher

I believe that the royal family are a focus of patriotism, of loyalty, of affection and of esteem. That is a rare combination, and we should value it highly. — Margaret Thatcher

I do wish I had brought my cheque book. I don’t believe in credit cards. — Margaret Thatcher

I am an ally of the United States. We believe the same things, we believe passionately in the same battle of ideas, we will defend them to the hilt. Never try to separate me from them. — Margaret Thatcher

I am an undiluted admirer of American values and the American dream and I believe they will continue to inspire not just the people of the United States but millions across the face of the globe. — Margaret Thatcher

I do believe that political arrangements which are based upon violence, intimidation and theft will eventually break down–and will deserve to do so. — Margaret Thatcher

We do not believe that if you cut back what government does you diminish its authority. On the contrary, a government that did less, and therefore did better, would strengthen its authority. — Margaret Thatcher

The Labour Party believes in turning workers against owners; we believe in turning workers into owners. — Margaret Thatcher

If a Tory does not believe that private property is one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom, then he had better become a socialist and have done with it. — Margaret Thatcher