Nigel Lawson

“The National Health Service is the closest thing the English have to a religion.”

“The European Union is a political project that has gone sour.”

“The great thing about being a member of the House of Lords is that you can be as outspoken as you like.”

“The overriding aim of macroeconomic policy should be to conquer inflation.”

“To curb inflation, you have to curb the demand for credit... The only way to do that is by having interest rates at the right level.”

“There is no costless way of reducing inflation.”

“The essence of Thatcherism was a political project to roll back the frontiers of the state.”

“Global warming is not a problem that can be solved. It can only be managed.”

“The pursuit of 'happiness' is a most unhappy endeavor.”

“It is a characteristic of our times that many people are Medico-maniacs, they are obsessed with health.”

“The idea of a single currency is a profound political mistake.”

“I am not a monetarist. I am a pragmatist.”

“The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing.”