Esther McVey Quotes

The history of all countries shows that the working class exclusively by its own effort is able to develop only trade-union consciousness.

The Scottish Labour Party, while I have breath in my body, will listen to the views of trade unionists.

I was the adoring son of a Welsh-Irish father, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, a Catholic Knight of Columbus who was a blue-collar, trade union organizer and, not surprisingly, a fervid Nixon-hater.

In general, if signs of sectarianism do appear in a Socialist Party, these are only the products of the absence of a broad Labour movement in the country.

We need writers who will joyfully impose upon themselves the discipline of understanding and acting upon working-class-theory.

I find some pleasure in noting that if I was a traitor to my class, I earned this distinction long before Franklin Roosevelt was called one.

The masses of the working-people of Scotland have read history, and are no revolutionary levelers.

The class struggle does not permit supporting any governmental initiative or sharing in political power.

It's not about left and right, it's about common people and their issues.

I'm not a green like most Democrats would be. I have a blue-collar district.

I've been hearing from people saying they see me more than they do their city council member.

The thing I enjoy most about campaigning is getting to have so many conversations with members. The downside is it takes away from the work of the union. I think that the work of the members is the most important thing.

Being the mayor of your hometown is the best job in America, partly because it's relatively nonpartisan - we focus on results, not ideology.

My father was a socialist, so we had some of the most extraordinary people at home.

New Labour has systematically alienated section after section of our natural supporters - teachers, health workers, students, pensioners, public service workers, trade unionists and people committed to the environment, civil liberties and peace.

What's going on for half the country? Who's lost out? The victims of elitist agenda; standing up for them, being a voice for them. That's the idea behind positive populism, that's what drives the content.

Rahul Gandhi lacks the mass appeal and not a match to Modi… people will not not accept him as prime minister.

On my show, I often discuss all the ways one can get involved politically on a local level, precincts, et al.

Growing up in Middlesbrough I was taught to be resilient and competitive. My teachers made us believe that just because kids were at private school up the road, it didn't mean they were better than us.

People talk about Thatcherism all the time. I felt it was important to record the memories of those almost written out of history who upheld the spirit of '45.

I was elected by people voting Labour! The idea that you come to Parliament and the first thing you do is that you're hand in hand with Tories and Liberals - I can't understand it! I came here and I made my mind up that I wasn't going to collaborate with the people I'd fought against in the election. It wasn't a difficult thing.

The Democratic Party tends to have this hypereducated ruling-class mentality, and we need to realize that's not making us connect with a lot of voters.

Local politics is just as important as national - and often easier to influence.

After I returned from Oxford, I spent 5-6 years in a village in Madhya Pradesh - 25 km. outside Bhopal - along with a group of people working with the communities. But, over time, we realised that there were just too many constraints, and for ordinary citizens to be the change agent was not that easy.

I spent 20 years working for the trade union movement before becoming a Labour MP. I'm proud to have done both jobs.