Quotes Library

December 3, 2025

Healey’s first law of politics: when you are in a hole, stop digging.

Denis Healey (1917–2015), British Labour politician, attributed, Jay p.173

Such good advice! When did you not follow it? When did you?

The problem with so many politicians is they ignore the advice of Sir Robert Walpole (Britain’s very first prime minister): “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Translation: don’t even start to dig.


More Quotes

June 21, 2025
As with sailing, so with politics: make your cloth too taut and the ship will dip and keel
November 20, 2025
Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.
August 16, 2026
Politics is the diversion of trivial men who, when they succeed at it, become important in the eyes of more trivial men.
Page 110 of 123