Michael Portillo Quotes

Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
British Journalist
Born: May 26, 1953
Being Good Me People Politics You
Related authors: Alastair Campbell Caitlin Moran David Attenborough Malcolm Muggeridge Martin Bashir Nigella Lawson Rose George Tony Wilson
I can never thoroughly appreciate meals on ships because, away from land, I feel my autonomy is restricted. Michael Portillo
Thoroughly Restricted Never Feel Because Ships Autonomy Meals Land Away Appreciate
A vocation is a noble thing and not to be subverted by the whims of politicians. Michael Portillo
Politicians Vocation Noble Whims Thing
America, to me, is this enormous contrast between the heady idealism of founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, who said, 'All men are created equal,' and the reality that he was himself a slave owner. Michael Portillo
Me Reality Men Enormous Thomas Fathers Thomas Jefferson He Between Idealism Heady Equal Himself Said Contrast America Owner Created Who Jefferson Founding Founding Fathers Slave
As a politician, I spent a lot of time in Washington and New York, cities that are familiar to Europeans. Michael Portillo
Time Politician Spent Cities New Lot Familiar York New York Europeans Washington
Leaving politics was a good thing. I was spared a miserable Tory government where I might have ended up as leader. Michael Portillo
Politics Government Good Miserable Leader Tory Good Thing Leaving Up Ended Where Might Spared Thing
Politics hasn't changed, but I've changed. Michael Portillo
Politics Changed
In some of the estates, there are generations of people who have been without work, so the environment and the example passed down generations is the normality of being without work. Michael Portillo
Work People Example Down Some Environment Generations Without Passed Been Normality Being Estates Who
I'm nothing to do with the Conservative Party; I'm not a member of the Conservative Party. I stopped being a member shortly after I stopped being a member of Parliament and I took up a career as a broadcaster. Michael Portillo
Conservative Party Nothing Conservative Party Took Broadcaster Member Parliament Up Stopped Being After Career
The truth is a good thing. Michael Portillo
Truth Good Truth Is Good Thing Thing
I worry how I look. Michael Portillo
Worry Look How
I don't mind being a bit of a showman. Michael Portillo
Mind Bit Being
I enjoyed dressing in Indian clothes. I loved those long, single-piece garments that come down to the knees and the white pyjamas you wear underneath. Michael Portillo
You Long Clothes White Down Those Indian Wear Dressing Knees Come Underneath Loved Garments Enjoyed
There's much about the British Raj which I think is disreputable. It was rapacious; it was a sort of kleptocracy, and it was also racist. Indians were not treated as equals. Michael Portillo
Think Indians About Also Sort Equals Were Which Much Treated British
Few people have heard of John Hawkshaw, the engineer responsible for Brighton's sewers, but he also built the Severn Tunnel and parts of the London Underground system. Such figures, largely forgotten now, conceived an infrastructure that was perfect in its fine detail and intended to last for a century or more - as it has. Michael Portillo
People Engineer Few System Responsible Detail Fine John London More Perfect He Conceived Also Underground Parts Built Heard Intended Few People Forgotten Tunnel Infrastructure Century Figures Now Largely Brighton Last
People are obviously very interested in travel, including travel in Britain. Michael Portillo
Travel People Obviously Very Interested Including Britain
I think a lot of people of my generation have a certain guilt that, from the Sixties onwards, we started taking package holidays abroad and neglected our own country. Michael Portillo
Generation People Guilt Country Own Think Our Neglected My Generation Abroad Taking Lot Sixties Package Holidays Certain Started
'Bradshaw's' is a lovely device for the time-travelling television presenter. I just hope that people buying it aren't doing so with the intention of plotting a tour of 21st-century Europe. They'll find quite a lot has changed since 1913. Michael Portillo
Hope People Changed Television Plotting Find Tour Since Device Doing Lot Quite Intention Quite A Lot Just Lovely Europe Buying Presenter
I don't know why, but I think the eating of food is hugely enhanced when you do it on a train. Even a simple steak and chips, when the world is rushing past outside, can take you to heaven. Michael Portillo
Food You World Simple Past Think Eating Rushing Steak Take Outside Know Train Hugely Heaven Chips Even Enhanced Why
People don't understand it, but the most intense occasions in the House of Commons were the ones I enjoyed most. When events could go either way and you could find yourself out of a job by the end of the day, those were the times when you were most on a high. Michael Portillo
Day You Yourself People Events End Of The Day Job Way Those Out High Find Could Most House House Of Commons Occasions Understand Go Were End Times Intense Either Commons Enjoyed
I don't think I've got a thick skin, but I've not felt particularly humiliated by the things which people think I would have felt humiliated by, such as losing my seat in 1997 and not being elected leader in 2001. In the second case, I felt relieved. Michael Portillo
People Losing Leader Skin Think Humiliated Relieved Would Case Particularly Felt Got Being Which Elected Thick Thick Skin Seat Things Second
Sleep deprivation over quite a short period of time can make you paranoid. Michael Portillo
Time You Paranoid Over Period Make Quite Short Short Period Deprivation Sleep
To be in the media is to be in the wings. Being in politics is being on the stage. Michael Portillo
Politics Stage Wings Being Media
We in Britain do not have the same capabilities as the United States, but we are members of the United Nations Security Council. And we take our obligations and duties deriving from that very seriously. Michael Portillo
Obligations Seriously United Nations Our States Members Security Security Council Council Take Very Same Duties Nations Capabilities United United States Britain
The stakes are high in politics. Michael Portillo
Politics High Stakes
My father was possessed of an extraordinary romantic idealism, an unwavering belief in certain principles. He was always talking about the past. Always. Of course, it has a powerful effect on me. Michael Portillo
Me Father Past Extraordinary Possessed About He Powerful Idealism Principles Talking Course Unwavering Always Effect Romantic Certain Belief
British-built railways in India helped the British to make money and maintain order and, as a by-product, served to unite the country, ripe for independence. Michael Portillo
Money Independence Country India Ripe Maintain Make Order Helped Unite Served Railways British By-Product
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