Barbara Castle Quotes

British politician (1910–2002)

Add quote

Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, PC, GCOT (née Betts, 6 October 1910 – 3 May 2002) was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Blackburn from 1945 to 1979, making her the longest-serving female MP in the history of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, until her record was surpassed in 2007 by Gwyneth Dunwoody. She became the Member of the European Parliament for Greater Manchester North in 1979, and later Greater Manchester West (European Parliament constituency) from 1984 to 1989. One of the most significant Labour Party politicians of the 20th century, she served in the Cabinet under Prime Minister Harold Wilson in a number of roles, including as Secretary of State for Employment, Secretary of State for Health and Social Services, and First Secretary of State.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: Barbara Anne Betts

Alternative Names: Barbara Anne Castle • Baroness Castle • Baroness Castle of Blackburn • Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn • Baroness Castle of Blackburn Barbara Anne Castle

From Wikidata (CC0)

Showing quotes in randomized order to avoid selection bias. Click Popular for most popular quotes.

This means a pension increase of 72p – a fair price for a bag of peanuts.

They lured us into the Market with the mirage of the market miracle.

The poverty and unemployment which we came into existence to fight have been largely conquered.

[W]e shall fight any legislation based on these proposals tooth and nail, line by line, and, however long it takes, we shall destroy the Bill.

We of the rank and file of the constituency parties say to the trade union movement that the Beveridge issue is as axiomatic to us as the Trade Disputes Act is to them. ... Jam yesterday and jam tomorrow, but never jam today.

Finally to the channel tunnel. Personally I am relieved that Tony Crosland has decided we can't go ahead. This is not only anti-Common Market prejudice. It is a kind of earthy feeling that an island is an island and should not be violated. Certainly I am convinced that the building of a tunnel would do something profound to the national attitude – and not certainly for the better.