25 memorable quotes by Margaret Thatcher

12/18/2025 by

Today, I am exploring memorable quotes by Margaret Thatcher.

Margaret Thatcher was one of the most powerful—and controversial—figures in modern British history.

She served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990, becoming the first woman to hold the job and earning the nickname “the Iron Lady” for her tough, uncompromising style.

She was the daughter of a grocer from Grantham, and she broke through a male-dominated political world, reshaping what leadership in Britain could look like.

Thatcher is significant because she fundamentally changed the direction of the country.

She pushed free-market ideas, cut the power of trade unions, privatised major industries, and took a hard line in both domestic politics and foreign affairs, most famously during the Falklands War.

Supporters credit her with reviving Britain’s economy and confidence; critics argue her policies deepened inequality and social division.

Either way, Britain after Thatcher was not the same as Britain before her—and that lasting impact is why she still sparks debate decades later.

Anyway, love her or hate her, she had a lot of thought-provoking things to say.

So, here are 25 memorable quotes by Margaret Thatcher.

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Memorable Quotes by Margaret Thatcher:

  1. The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build.
  2. You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.
  3. Nothing is more obstinate than a fashionable consensus.
  4. Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.
  5. It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs.
  6. Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy.
  7. I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.
  8. Being prime minister is a lonely job. You cannot lead from the crowd.
  9. Power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.
  10. If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.
  11. The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.
  12. It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.
  13. No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well.
  14. Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.
  15. To wear your heart on your sleeve isn’t a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.
  16. I am in politics because of the conflict between good and evil, and I believe that in the end, good will triumph.
  17. It pays to know the enemy – not least because at some time you may have the opportunity to turn him into a friend.
  18. I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me; that’s not their job.
  19. If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.
  20. People think that at the top, there isn’t much room. They tend to think of it as an Everest. My message is that there is tons of room at the top.
  21. I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.
  22. Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.
  23. To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So, it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects.
  24. I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it should get you pretty near.
  25. If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you.
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