Roy Jenkins Quotes

• Inheritance Tax; - it is, broadly speaking; a voluntary levy paid by those who distrust their heirs more than they dislike the Inland Revenue

  Roy Jenkins

  Inheritance, Heirs, Distrust

  64 Copy quote

• The permissive society has been allowed to become a dirty phrase. A better phrase is the civilised society

  Roy Jenkins

  Dirty, Phrases, Nasty

  11 Copy quote

• A social democratic party without deep roots in the working class movement would quickly fade into an unrepresentative intellectual sect

  Roy Jenkins

  Party, Class, Roots

  Roy Jenkins (1972). “What Matters Now. -”, Harper San Francisco

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• There are always great dangers in letting the best be the enemy of the good.

  Roy Jenkins

  Letting Go, Government, Enemy

  Roy Jenkins “Essays Speeches”

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• The fact is that Harold Wilson is a person no one can like, a person without friends.

  Roy Jenkins

  Facts, Wilson, Persons

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• The great disadvantage of our present electoral system is that it freezes the pattern of politics, and holds together the incompatible because everyone assumes that if a party splits it will be electorally slaughtered

  Roy Jenkins

  Party, Together, Splits

  Roy Jenkins (1985). “Partnership of principle: writings and speeches on the making of the alliance”, Secker & Warburg

  18 Copy quote

• There is a lot of talk about a centre party - and that I might lead it. I find this idea profoundly unattractive

  Roy Jenkins

  Party, Ideas, Unattractive

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• I therefore believe that the politics of the left and centre of this country are frozen in an out-of-date mould which is bad for the political and economic health of Britain and increasingly inhibiting for those who live within the mould. Can it be broken?

  Roy Jenkins

  Country, Believe, Broken

  Speech to Parliamentary Press Gallery, 9 June 1980, in 'The Times' 10 June 1980

  7 Copy quote

• The Labour Party is and always has been an instinctive part of my life

  Roy Jenkins

  Party, Labour Party, Has Beens

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• Many of the early nationalisation measures were right. They have remained part of the social fabric. I favour measures of that type.

  Roy Jenkins

  Fabric, Favour, Social

  Speech in the House of Commons. Hansard (transcript of Parliamentary Debates), Column 579, November 10, 1982.

  4 Copy quote

• The most moving speech I have ever heard was Hugh Gaitskell saying he would 'fight, fight and fight again to save the party we love. That was the right message in 1960, and I believe it is still the right message today.

  Roy Jenkins

  Party, Believe, Moving

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• I do not think you can push public expenditure significantly above 60 per cent and maintain the values of a plural society with adequate freedom of choice. We are here close to one of the frontiers of social democracy.

  Roy Jenkins

  Thinking, Choices, Democracy

  "Inflation fight goes on, Mr Jenkins tells left". The Times, January 24, 1976.

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• Each successive Labour Government has been the most rapacious, doctrinaire and unpatriotic conspiracy to be seen this side of the Iron Curtain.

  Roy Jenkins

  Government, Iron, Sides

  Roy Jenkins (1985). “Partnership of principle: writings and speeches on the making of the alliance”, Secker & Warburg

  4 Copy quote

• We must not expect a full-scale peaceful revolution every time a Labour Government is elected

  Roy Jenkins

  Peace, Government, Revolution

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• A substantial extension of public ownership is an essential pre-requisite of greater equality of earned income

  Roy Jenkins

  Essentials, Income, Ownership

  4 Copy quote

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