John McDonnell Quotes

[he would be glad to] go back to the 1980s and assassinate Thatcher.

We have to respect the decision that was made in the referendum ... otherwise, to be frank, we undermine all confidence in our democratic process.

John McDonnell, the nearest to a hero in both books. McDonnell worked tirelessly and pragmatically. He wanted to win, knowing that unity and a semblance of coherence were fundamental preconditions for victory. He kept up a dialogue with the so-called moderates and spoke out publicly on both anti-Semitism and the Salisbury poisonings, to the point where he and Corbyn did not talk for several months.

Therefore now in the national interest we have got to come together and secure a compromise. If we can't do that, well yes, we have to go back to the people.

I would swim through vomit to vote against this bill. And listening to some of the nauseating speeches in support of it, I might have to.

We will be cut off from our biggest trading partner. We will be cut off from the skills and contribution that EU nationals have made to our economy and society.

I'd like them to vote Remain, but that's part of the debate we've got to have

That has been our objective since immediately after the referendum. The structures - whether we are in or out - are a secondary matter. We are not ruling anything out but what we are saying is that we are the fifth largest economy in the world and we have a special status in both our relationship with the EU and the rest of the globe and we feel we can get a deal that achieves tariff-free access.

We can't say to people 'Labour wants you to share in the running of your workplace, your community and your environment, but we don't trust you to have the final say over Brexit.'

There are enough sensible people in the House of Commons to say 'this cannot happen, we cannot damage our country in this way'.

This means we must not try to re-fight the referendum or push for a second vote and if Article 50 needs to be triggered in Parliament Labour will not seek to block or delay it.

I think he's reckless and I think he's unstable and I will move heaven and Earth to stop a no-deal Brexit.

I think people out there in the real world, our constituents, just want us to get on with the job of getting the best deal possible for them

It's time to turn this debate around, drive out politics of despair and offer a vision for Britain in Europe.

I was up in Liverpool a fortnight ago where Alec McFadden, one of our organisers, launched the Sack Esther McVey Day, on her birthday. There was a whole group in the audience that completely kicked off quite critical of the whole concept, because they were arguing "Why are we sacking her? Why aren’t we lynching the bastard?"