These UK quotes will inspire you. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign country in north-western Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland.
Below you will find a collection of motivating, knowledgeable, and encouraging UK quotes, UK sayings, and UK proverbs.
Best UK Quotes
- “I don’t want to be Prime Minister of England, I want to be Prime Minister of the whole of the United Kingdom.” ~ David Cameron
- “It’s true: one of the things that I’ve always thought about American society is that you never get the sort of natural politicisation of class consciousness that you would get in the United Kingdom or even in Australia.” ~ Peter Carey
- “But in the first Gulf war the United Kingdom was not under any threat from Iraq, and is still less so in the second one. Then there is no justification for obstructing freedom of information, particularly as nations have a right to know what their soldiers are being used for.” ~ Kate Adie
- “I want to see an open and tolerant society here in the United Kingdom, I want to see a country that works for everyone whatever their background.” ~ Theresa May
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“When people say England, they sometimes mean Great Britain, sometimes the United Kingdom, sometimes the British Isles, – but never England.” ~ George Mikes
- “I know that the United Kingdom is sometimes seen as an argumentative and rather strong-minded member of the family of European nations. And it’s true that our geography has shaped our psychology. We have the character of an island nation – independent, forthright, passionate in defence of our sovereignty.” ~ David Cameron
- “I should say that being independent in the modern model means independent in a very interdependent world. An independent Scotland is not apart from the rest of the United Kingdom.” ~ Nicola Sturgeon
- “What is absolutely clear is that we have, with the U.S., an extradition treaty which is important, I believe it is an important treaty, for both sides, the United States and the United Kingdom. It is a treaty that I believe is balanced and we work on that basis.” ~ Theresa May
- “I believe that the Union Flag should change now to reflect the four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales” ~ Ian Lucas
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“There can be no doubt that, with the United Kingdom, we will lose a very market-oriented voice.” ~ Jean-Claude Juncker
- “Together, America and the United Kingdom are a beacon for prosperity and the rule of law. That is why the United States respects the sovereignty of the British people and their right of self-determination.” ~ Donald Trump , UK quotes British
- “The BBC is part of the glue which binds the United Kingdom together. At those times of national moment – of joy or sadness, in the UK or around the world, at times when the nation wants to celebrate, mourn or just enjoy itself people turn to the BBC.” ~ Gavyn Davies
- “In order to save the 40,000,000 inhabitants of the United Kingdom from a bloody civil war, we colonial statesmen must acquire new lands to settle the surplus population, to provide new markets. […] The Empire, as I have always said, is a bread and butter question.” ~ Cecil Rhodes
- “The basic policy of the British Government was that since the majority of people in Northern Ireland wished to remain in the United Kingdom, that was that. We asked what would happen if the majority wanted something else, if the majority wanted to see Irish unity.” ~ John Hume
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“One of the great ball-givers in the United Kingdom is Nicholas Parsons.” ~ Derek Nimmo
- “I’ve got to be honest, and I’m not just saying this because the majority of you reading this live there, but I love the United Kingdom. I just flat-out love it.” ~ Corey Taylor
- “People in the United Kingdom and outside the United States share my bemusement with the United States that America doesn’t share with itself.” ~ Bill Hicks
- “The U.N. [the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention] has looked into this whole situation. They spent eighteen months in formal, adversarial litigation. [So it’s] me and the U.N. verses Sweden and the U.K. Who’s right? The U.N. made a conclusion that I am being arbitrarily detained illegally, deprived of my freedom and that what has occurred has not occurred within the laws that the United Kingdom and Sweden, and that [those countries] must obey. It is an illegal abuse.” ~ Julian Assange
- “Unfortunately, the relations between the United Kingdom and Russia have not developed in the best possible way; however, it has never been our fault. It was not we who decided to discontinue relations with the United Kingdom; it was the UK who preferred to “freeze” our bilateral contacts in various fields.” ~ Vladimir Putin
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“Let the debate begin, let the rest of the world know that the iconic symbol of the United Kingdom may change” ~ Ian Lucas
- “Thankfully, due to the United Kingdom and the commitment of the Westminster government we are able to ensure that money brought in, whether it be from the City of London or from North Sea oil, can be pooled and directed to wherever it is needed most.” ~ Iain Duncan Smith
- “It has been suggested at various times that I should start an operation in the United Kingdom but – bearing in mind my age and medical history – I think this would be not a very sensible way to go forward.” ~ Martin Fleischmann
- “I suppose that the media and their portrayal of Islam and the almost tribal separations and divisions of the Muslims are the greatest issues confronting Muslims in the United Kingdom.” ~ Cat Stevens
- “No one can truly be prepared for such devastation and pure malevolence, but the United Kingdom can always look to the United States as an ally resolved to stand firm in the war on terrorism.” ~ Michael C. Burgess
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“Some people did not like this ceremonious style. But after all when you have to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite.” ~ Winston Churchill
- “Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on earth. According to the United Nations’ Human Development Report (2005), they are also the healthiest, as indicated by life expectancy, adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality, homicide rate, and infant mortality. . . . Conversely, the fifty nations now ranked lowest in terms of the United Nations’ human development index are unwaveringly religious.” ~ Sam Harris , UK quotes life
- “Any Reform Bill which is worth a moment’s thought, or the smallest effort to carry it, must at least double, and it ought to do much more than double, the representation of the metropolitan boroughs and of all the great cities of the United Kingdom.” ~ John Bright
- “Having the United Kingdom in the European Union gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union and is part of the cornerstone of institutions built after World War II that has made the world safer and more prosperous.” ~ Barack Obama
- “I was filming a movie in London, and I drove through Ireland. It was quite beautiful, and the countryside was really remarkable. The contrast between the countryside and Ireland, and the murals there, with Northern Ireland still being a part of the United Kingdom, there’s just a stark contrast in those two things. And I found that the art that came out of the conflict was really spectacular because it was about remembering either events or points of view for local neighborhoods, or the rallying cries of one side against the other.” ~ Vince Vaughn
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“I believe in Scotland’s place within the United Kingdom today as much as ever.” ~ Ruth Davidson
- “In the United Kingdom at various stages, journalism has been the profession of gentlemen amateurs. And some of them even pride themselves on being amateurs. Their quality is not comparable with the quality of intelligence services even if most of them harbor a remarkable degree of corruption and incompetence.” ~ Julian Assange
- “The birth certificate of the royal baby lists her parents’ occupations as being ‘the prince and princess of the United Kingdom.’ It says that under occupation, which I guess sounds better than ‘unemployed.'” ~ Conan O’Brien
- “I am one of a team of Iraqi weapons inspectors currently travelling through the United Kingdom under very difficult conditions searching for weapons of mass distraction.” ~ Attila the Stockbroker
- “In the United Kingdom, for example, the sheer overwhelming dominance of London makes it extremely for provincial cities to develop more than a very restricted financial function. London, in that sense, is akin to the notorious upas tree, a fabulous Javanese tree so poisonous that it destroys all life for many miles around itself.” ~ Peter Dicken
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“But I do think that Brexit, an exit of Britain from the European Union, would trigger real pressure on the United Kingdom.” ~ Lionel Barber
- “To have two Legislative Assemblies in the United Kingdom would, in my opinion, be an intolerable mischief; and I think no sensible man can wish for two within the limits of the present United Kingdom who does not wish the United Kingdom to become two or more nations, entirely separate from each other.” ~ John Bright
- “The music scene in the ’70s was like the United Kingdom in the ’70s – we had a lot of unemployment, we had inflation, we had a lot of strikes going on, on a national scale, and a lot of discontent. That was reflected in the music.” ~ Annie Lennox
- “The United Kingdom and the European Union will remain indispensable partners of the United States even as they begin negotiating their ongoing relationship to ensure continued stability, security and prosperity for Europe, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the world.” ~ Barack Obama
- “The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in Nato remains a vital cornerstone of US foreign, security and economic policy.” ~ Barack Obama
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“The United States wants a strong United Kingdom as a partner. And the United Kingdom is at its best when it’s helping to lead a strong Europe.” ~ Barack Obama
- “Our shared histories and common values make us natural trading partners and we will continue to work with both the United Kingdom and the European Union as we move forward with this new decision.” ~ Justin Trudeau
- “The thing about frontiers, it allows the individuals who are best, whether they’re men or women or minorities or whatever, to step to the top. So in traditional societies, old world societies, in the United Kingdom if you would; if you were born into the right stratus, the right class, you had the ability to succeed.” ~ Peter Diamandis
- “We will shortly become like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or Sweden – a socialist democracy in which the government dominates the economy, determines private-sector priorities and offers a vastly expanded range of services to many more people at much higher taxes.” ~ Dick Morris
- “A united Europe is our Continent’s only chance to avoid falling off the world’s radar. The heads of government of Germany, France and the United Kingdom also know that their voice is only heard internationally because they speak through the megaphone of the European Union.” ~ Jean-Claude Juncker
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“The United Kingdom Is Not A Country That Anybody Can Be Proud Of” ~ Craig Murray
- “We read so much about incompetence and corruption in all sorts of places. I’m not just thinking of the United Kingdom and the United States. Almost everywhere there seems to me to be an increase in incompetence and general dishonesty. This is what I mean about democracy – you feel that you’ve got the ability to arrange things and influence matters and it’s not quite so easy as that, I’m afraid.” ~ Colin Dexter
- “We are keen to stress that a strong euro zone is good for a strong United Kingdom. It’s not for us to write the changes that the euro zone needs to embark on.” ~ Nick Clegg
- “Moreover it is becoming the Britons, whether scientific or unscientific, who boast at all fitting occasions of their aptitude to rule the waves, should know something of the population of their saline empire, especially of those parts of it immediately in contact with their terrestrial domain, and the coasts of the Continent to which our United Kingdom appertains.” ~ Edward Forbes
- “In war and in peace, in prosperity and times of economic hardship, America has no better friend or more dependable ally than the United Kingdom.” ~ Louis Susman
- “I more or less intended it (the farewell tour) to be for the United Kingdom and not so much over here, but everywhere I’ve worked, they’ve been aware this is my final tour ? my final year ? which in all likelihood is gonna be the case.” ~ Don Williams
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“Unlike the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth, the umma, or Muslim community, has no symbolic leader, let alone a formal one.” ~ Ayaan Hirsi Ali
- “This war so far has cost us $125 billion and counting, because largely we decided to do it on our own, with only the United Kingdom as a paying, fully participating partner.” ~ John Spratt
- “I am one of the million or more male residents of the United Kingdom, who a year ago had no special yearning towards military life, but who joined the army after war was declared.” ~ Patrick MacGill
- “The Government have consistently made it clear that the mechanism in the United Kingdom whereby the European draft constitutional treaty could be implemented is approval by the House of Commons followed by a referendum of the people of Britain. There is no question of implementing it by the back door.” ~ Douglas Alexander
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“Climate change should be seen as the greatest challenge to face man and treated as a much bigger priority in the United Kingdom.” ~ Prince Charles
- “Had the United States and the United Kingdom gone on alone to capture Baghdad, under the provisions of the Geneva and Hague conventions we would have been considered occupying powers and therefore would have been responsible for all the costs of maintaining or restoring government, education and other services for the people of Iraq.” ~ Norman Schwarzkopf
- “We are seeing, we have seen in the last figures a significant drop in the number of net migrants coming into the United Kingdom. So we are cutting out abuse, we’ve restricted the number of economic – non-EU economic migrants. We’re cutting out abuse across the student visa system, particularly, and we’re having an impact.” ~ Theresa May
- “Margaret Thatcher was a 20th century visionary who understood the power of individual freedom versus the tyranny of government collectivism. She was a loyal supporter and friend of the United States and her terms as prime minister were marked as the beginning of the resurgence of the economy of the United Kingdom.” ~ Joe Lhota
- “You’ve got some very powerful countries: Poland, the United Kingdom, Sweden and others who have a genuine desire to see the euro zone straighten itself out. It’s good for all of us, whether you’re in the euro zone or not, to make sure that it doesn’t lead to a fracturing.” ~ Nick Clegg
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“I used to go missing a lot… Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World.” ~ George Best
- “If you look at casualties, you find countries that had much higher loss rates per capita than the US. Denmark comes to mind, the United Kingdom, they have suffered heavy losses at various points, the Germans as well.” ~ David Petraeus
- “A child born today in the United Kingdom stands a ten times greater chance of being admitted to a mental hospital than to a university … This can be taken as an indication that we are driving our children mad more effectively than we are genuinely educating them. Perhaps it is our way of educating them that is driving them mad.” ~ R. D. Laing
- “During the 1960s, and again in the 1970s, growth in manufacturing productivity in the United Kingdom was the lowest of all the seven major industrial countries in the world. During the 1980s, our annual rate of growth of output per head in manufacturing has been the highest of all the seven major industrial countries.” ~ Nigel Lawson
- “The German air offensives against British cities in World Wars I and II not only failed to coerce the United Kingdom to surrender, but Germany also lost both wars.” ~ John Mearsheimer
- “The population of the United Kingdom has, for the first time, reached sixty million. If they stood on each other’s shoulders they would reach perhaps twenty feet in the air before toppling over.” ~ Eddie Mair
