Margaret Thatcher

"There really is no alternative."

"Parents can best exert influence through local authorities"

"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman."

"Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other peoples money. Its quite a characteristic of them."

"I dont think there will be a woman Prime Minister in my lifetime."

"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."

"Some Socialists seem to believe that people should be numbers in a State computer. We believe they should be individuals. We are all unequal. No one, thank heavens, is like anyone else, however much the Socialists may pretend otherwise. We believe that everyone has the right to be unequal but to us every human being is equally important."

"I started life with two great advantages: no money, and good parents."

"If you really dont like it, and if your child isnt progressing, have a word with the head teacher. And if youre still not satisfied, or feel that you want your child to go to a school with a different kind of philosophy and approach—the only thing is to approach your education authority and have him transferred to another school, though an extra change of school is not always good for a child"

"And I will go on criticising Socialism, and opposing Socialism because it is bad for Britain – and Britain and Socialism are not the same thing...Its the Labour Government that have brought us record peace-time taxation. They’ve got the usual Socialist disease – they’ve run out of other peoples money."

"I wish I could say that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had done himself less than justice. Unfortunately, I can only say that I believe he has done himself justice. Some Chancellors are macro-economic. Other Chancellors are fiscal. This one is just plain cheap."

"The right hon. Gentleman is afraid of an election is he? Oh, if I were going to cut and run Id have gone after the Falklands. Afraid? Frightened? Frit? Couldnt take it? Couldnt stand it? Right now inflation is lower than it has been for thirteen years, a record the right hon. Gentleman couldnt begin to touch!"