To have a civil war within the Conservative Party at that time, in the belief that the referendum having been determined the participants in this civil war are going to sit round table the table and happily smile together is, I think, rather naive, it split the Labour Party ... it kept the Labour Party out of power for nearly two decades.

Michael Heseltine

Categorized in : World

There are those who never stretch out the hand for fear it will be bitten. But those who never stretch out the hand will never feel it clasped in friendship.

Michael Heseltine

feels hands

My preoccupation has been from the very beginning that I believe that the "Brexit" referendum result is the most disastrous peacetime result that we've seen in Britain.

Michael Heseltine

referendums preoccupation believe

They say a man should be judged by his enemies. I am very proud of mine.

Michael Heseltine

proud men enemy

I can foresee no circumstance in which I would allow my name to be put forward for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

Michael Heseltine

conservative party names

I am humble enough to recognize that I have made mistakes, but politically astute enough to know that I have forgotten what they are.

Michael Heseltine

humble forgotten mistake

Mrs Thatcher was not lightly bullied.

Michael Heseltine

mrs-thatcher bullied

I always knew that Neil Kinnock belonged in the economic nursery. Now, God help us we've got twins.

Michael Heseltine

nursery twins helping

You can't wield a handbag from an empty chair.

Michael Heseltine

handbags empty chairs

The British public sees with blinding clarity.

Michael Heseltine

clarity british

It is the only time that I can ever remember the Prime Minister reading out the conclusions of a meeting that did not take place. They were already written before it started.

Michael Heseltine

prime reading remember

Politics is a life sentence. It's an obsessive, all-demanding, utterly fascinating, totally committing profession - stimulating, satisfying, stretching.

Michael Heseltine

obsessive stretching politics

Yes, I do talk to my trees. I did say to one 'You'd better smarten yourself up or you'll be gone' and the next year, well, you've never seen such a mass of flowers.

Michael Heseltine

flower tree years

The market has no morality

Michael Heseltine

ethics morality responsibility

I keep telling my Tory colleagues: don't have any policies. A manifesto that has policies alienates people. In 1979 the manifesto said nothing which was brilliant.

Michael Heseltine

brilliant said people

If the basis of trust between the Prime Minister and her Defence Secretary no longer exists, there is no place for me with honour in such a Cabinet.

Michael Heseltine

prime cabinets trust

The two super-powers cannot divide the world into their oyster.

Michael Heseltine

oysters two world

One has to live with the ignominy of a garish sticker slapped over one's face, proclaiming '?

Michael Heseltine

sticker faces book

In the end leaders are leaders. They get the credit and they get the blame.

Michael Heseltine

blame credit leadership

You can imagine the sign outside Tory central office. Shop closed - out to lunch.

Michael Heseltine

imagine lunch office

The fundamental question is is the Conservative Party leadable

Michael Heseltine

conservative party fundamentals