James Callaghan's Quotes

I sum up the prospects for 1967 in three short sentences. We are back on course. The ship is picking up speed. The economy is moving. Every seaman knows the command at such a moment: 'steady as she goes'.

A lie can be halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on.

A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice.

If the law is a bad law, there is always the contingent right to take action that you would not otherwise take.

The rule of law should be upheld by all political parties. They should neither advise others to break the law, nor encourage others to do so even when they strongly disagree with the legislation put forward by the government of the day.

A leader has to 'appear' consistent. That doesn't mean he has to be consistent.

I am not proposing to seek your votes because there is a blue sky ahead today.

I am rather in favour of dealing with teenage hooliganism.

I've never been one to say that Britain was joining a happy band of brothers.

Some people, however long their experience or strong their intellect, are temperamentally incapable of reaching firm decisions.

There are no instant solutions.

There is not a single injustice in Northern Ireland that is worth the loss of a single British soldier or a single Irish citizen either.

You can never reach the promised land. You can march towards it.

Your strike will not win. You cannot be allowed to succeed.