Top 60 David Blunkett Quotes

I believe Britishness is defined not on ethnic and exclusive grounds but through shared values; our history of tolerance, openness and internationalism; and our commitment to democracy and liberty, to civic duty and the public space.

And we think that our citizens and yours would be very angry if they thought that we hadn’t taken every possible step for prevention and then for joint action in the likelihood of those who threaten our lives and our well- being, taking action at the same time.

We must look to an open, tolerant, inclusive England, which embraces the values of a Britain that still leads the world in terms of an open democracy, as well as an understanding of the needs for responsibilities and obligations to run alongside the affirmation of individual rights.

My integrity had been called into question; I was being called a liar, and I am not a liar. And I just think it is time that we stop viewing public figures as fair game.

I was affected by the harshness of government, the reality of 16-hour days, and the pressures of modern communications.

To punish MPs because of the distance they live from London – those with fast train journeys quite close to London as well as those at some distance from both the capital or an appropriate airport – is perverse, but also dangerous to democracy.

Privacy is a right, but as in any democratic society, it is not an absolute right.

Nothing is more important for young people than enhancing their life chances, liberating their potential and encouraging their contribution to a globally competitive and modern economy.

If, in the name of liberty, we allow individuals to act in a way that damages the wellbeing of the whole, it will inevitably mean the breakdown of mutuality, thereby changing the very nature of our society.

That is why with enormous regret I have tendered my resignation to the prime minister today.

I didn’t come into politics to have to deal with the issue of clandestine entry, illegal working, or an asylum system that allows a free run for right-wing bigots.

By confirming the importance of politics and politicians in Britain, we can build from the bottom up and begin to reverse the worrying anti-politics trend, which will empower the elite technocrats and leave defenceless the man or woman in the street with a mere vote to cast.

It is certainly true that as we grow older, our need for healthcare also grows. It is also true that those who have lived their lives in the most difficult circumstances and experienced the most exhausting and challenging work places need healthcare the most.

The democratic state can sometimes abuse its power as much as those who seek to destroy it abuse fundamental rights and democratic practices.

Speaking for the nation as a whole entails understanding and feeling the pain, as well as understanding the aspiration of the different cultural, social and political make-up of the nation.

I’ve had a guide dog since 1969. Not the same one, of course: I’ve had five.

I don’t think anyone can say I have said one thing in public and done another in private.

I am not a parliamentarian. I am a politician. Some MPs leave and are itching to get back. I don’t feel that. This is just a work environment.

We need to use all the resources at our disposal in order to prosper. We need more employment, and we need employment to be spread more fairly across society.

Reciprocity helps us balance the need for self-determination and creative individuality with mutual hope and, therefore, what might be described as ‘solidarity.’

We need dynamic and thriving businesses and a skilled and adaptable labour force to produce competitiveness and prosperity.

Politics is only worthwhile if you are doing what you believe, regardless of the slings and arrows.

But any perception of this application being speeded up requires me to take responsibility.

When it comes to those who are accused and their right to defend themselves, it is perfectly reasonable to expect relevant evidence to be made public, and I am in favour of open justice.

Human nature is you get carried away, so we have to protect ourselves from ourselves.

I’m a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected by seeing the disintegration of any chance of democracy coping with fascism in the Weimar republic, where woolly-minded, well-meaning liberalism actually allowed the forces of darkness to use democracy, to exploit democracy, to overturn democracy.

In Sheffield, we need support from the community and for the community. We need integration with no loss of heritage, and a clear appreciation of what is and is not acceptable.

We need to build on what we know works – local oversight of schools to keep a check on performance, timely interventions in schools to support those at risk of failing, and partnerships between schools to help each one to improve.

Simple numbers of people of a particular age tell us nothing about the condition of their health, the environment in which they live, and the support systems they can afford to pay for.

When I’m in London I do have the convenience of being close to St James Park which is also good for me because it gives me an excuse to get out and get some much needed exercise!

Children whose parents return to study do much better at school. Offenders who persist with studies are much less likely to reoffend. The national mental health strategy recognises the important role adult learning can play for people recovering from mental illness.

As education and employment secretary in 1997, I inherited hundreds of schools where the roofs leaked, the windows rattled, and they relied entirely on outside toilets.

Judy, we think that since the 11th of September, 2001, we’ve faced a similar heightened threat level. And we’ve been enhancing both the exchange of intelligence and security information and the assessment of that information, because that’s the crucial element.

I love the walk although my security team weren’t too sure to begin with but I was anxious to be able to lead a near normal life. Whilst walking I do get the chance to meet people and keep in touch.

Parents don’t believe that lifting life-chances in one school means reducing them in another.

Changes to parliamentary procedure won’t transform the lives of the people whom I represent. Decentralising, devolving decision-making and renewing civil society will.

I have built my reputation on honesty, I have sometimes been too honest.

I should have been a Trappist monk.

As home secretary, I gained a reputation for being ‘tough’; less concerned with liberty than with public protection.

We need to reaffirm that politics is not merely compatible with economic progress and development in the 21st century, but essential to it.

Throughout my political life, I’ve not been a stranger to controversy.

Faith in technocrats over politicians is not a trend from which Britain is exempt.

Bishops and judges are some of the best politicians in the world. They know how to manipulate the political process.

My job as Labour Home Secretary is to ensure people are prepared to listen to us when we take on our opponents across the political spectrum.

With the commissioning of new schools undertaken by a local director of school standards, decisions will be fair and transparent, rooted in the needs of the local community. The admissions code and the role of the adjudicator will also be strengthened to provide fairness for all children.

I’m in favour of a sensible development of response units and their deployment in any circumstance where there may be a risk to the officers themselves or the neighbourhood they’re in. I’m not in favour of a blanket arming of the police.

At school, I was brought up on revolting food – sausages, sausages and Spam – but at home, I had the most wonderful sponge puddings, which I don’t indulge in very often now.

Solidarity and interdependence, a sense of worth, a pride and hope in the future: these are positive gains for those who believe in progressive politics and the beneficial role of government, rather than a detriment.

At this very moment in time there will be people making, breaking relationships, regretting deeply what they’ve done, and causing hurt, but that is a fact of life, and if we weren’t full of emotion, we’d be automatons, and I don’t think people want us to be that.

Much extremist activity falls short of directly inciting people to violence or other crimes and so is not caught by laws on incitement. Neither does the Public Order Act, used to protect groups of people from harassment, deal with the problem.

Crucially, I’d like to thank Labour party members up and down the country for sticking with us. For their active citizenship, their willingness to engage in our democracy, and for being there at the cutting edge of making our democracy work.

In government, you are pressed by the security agencies. They come to you with very good information, and they say, ‘You need to do something.’ So you do need the breath of scepticism, not cynicism, breathing on them.

Balancing the common good with the freedom and liberty to exercise that individuality has been and remains a challenge for those committed to democracy while understanding that the polis ensures our participation and therefore our citizenship.