Britain is not earning her living. We are not keeping pace with the economic performance of our European and North American neighbours, and we are ce… - Alec Douglas-Home

" "

Britain is not earning her living. We are not keeping pace with the economic performance of our European and North American neighbours, and we are certainly not achieving the potential that is in us. ... At the end of a war of prolonged sacrifice we were left with much obsolete industrial plant, and a short-fall in the capital necessary to scrap and renew it. For a century we had lived on cheap food and raw materials imported from overseas. They are not and will not in future be available to us. ... We cannot continue to live beyond or ability or our willingness to earn. That is the one basic fact with which Britain has yet to come to terms.

English
Collect this quote

About Alec Douglas-Home

Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel (2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995) was a British Conservative politician who served one year as Prime Minister after renouncing his hereditary peerage and gaining re-election to the House of Commons. Long service in the governments of the 1950s (including as Foreign Secretary, July 1960–October 1963) led to his emergence as a compromise candidate in the feverish negotiations of 1963, but he narrowly failed to rebuild the Conservatives' popularity sufficiently to win the 1964 general election. He returned as Foreign Secretary in the government of Edward Heath (June 1970–March 1974) and received a life peerage at the end of 1974.

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Lord Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home Home of the Hirsel Alec Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel Alexander Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Home of the Hirsel Alexander Douglas-Home, Lord Home of the Hirsel Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Lord Home of the Hirsel Alec Home Alexander Home Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Dunglass Alexander Douglas-Home, Lord Dunglass Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Lord Dunglass Alec Dunglass Alexander Dunglass Alec Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home Alexander Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home Home of the Hirsel, Alec Douglas-Home Baron
Unlimited Quote Collections

Organize your favorite quotes without limits. Create themed collections for every occasion with Premium.

Related quotes. More quotes will automatically load as you scroll down, or you can use the load more buttons.

Additional quotes by Alec Douglas-Home

“Wealth has to be created before it can be shared.” Starting from there, the emphasis is placed firmly on creating the political and economic climate where the men with the ideas and the men with the capital are given a chance to do so. Circumstances may have made the ownership of some industries by the State inevitable, but the unanimous verdict is that bureaucracy cramps, cripples and confines. That is no good for Britain. One sentence is devastating. “Socialised industries tend to produce inferior products at high prices by dissatisfied workers.” That is too near the truth for our comfort.

We also believe that we should have the power to assist voluntary repatriation, that the dependents must be counted against the limits on numbers, and that the total should be further reduced. ... Without the measures outlined, those of us who have studied this question at close quarters are increasingly fearful that an intractable racial problem will be introduced into Britain and may become endemic if we are not careful. This, in our view, must not be allowed. Therefore it is time to bring this problem into the open and not be afraid to talk about it. Those who speak about it in a responsible way should not be charged with racial prejudice.

Go Premium

Support Quotewise while enjoying an ad-free experience and premium features.

View Plans
There is no alternative for Britain but to keep power on her side, which means the power of the United States. There is in my opinion no alternative for Britain other than to retain a nuclear capacity and arm under her ultimate control so that she can contribute to collective defence and claim an influence and authority wherever and whenever matters of nuclear peace or war are weighed in the scales.

Loading...