Nigel Lawson

“You do not need to be within the single market to be able to export to the European Union, as we see from the wide range of goods on our shelves every day.”

“To govern is to choose. To appear to be unable to choose is to appear to be unable to govern.”

“A flat-rate poll tax would be politically unsustainable; even with a rebate scheme, the package would have an unacceptable impact on certain types of household.”

“We should be forced to give so many exemptions and concessions (inevitably to the benefit of high spending authorities in Inner London) that the flat-rate poll tax would rapidly become a surrogate income tax.”

“I strongly suspect that there would be a positive economic advantage to the U.K. in leaving the single market.”

“The Treasury has enough trouble with forecasts even when they are trying to get them right.”

“The successful conduct of economic policy is possible only if there is - and is seen to be - full agreement between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.”

“She felt Britain should not be so dependent on coal. She was in favour of building up nuclear energy to break the dependence on coal, and the main opposition to nuclear came from the environment movement. Mrs. Thatcher thought she could trap them with the carbon emissions argument.”

“No one, however long they have held the post, lightly gives up the great office of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Certainly I did not.”

“Prime Minister Cameron says he wants to be the greenest government ever, but the definition of green is immature... I don't deny for a moment that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, but there are so many other factors that affect climate. It is more complicated than the computer models that we are using. What the truth is, nobody knows.”

“You don't need to be within the single market to trade; it's not an issue.”

“In terms of the arguments, I think the pro-Leave campaign is winning them all.”

“I don't think the government needs to be frightened of the banks in the slightest.”

“Most of the countries in the world are outside the E.U., and they are doing very nicely, thank you.”

“I am not surprised Cameron says he supports what Gillard is doing in Australia because we have, in the U.K., a totally misconceived climate change plan as well.”

“You have got to clear up that corporation tax in the modern way has had its day as a major source of revenue, and we have got to find a new system.”

“The NHS is the closest thing the English have to a religion.”

“The right kind of immigrants can benefit the British economy enormously, but no country can accept indiscriminate, unlimited immigration.”

“If you punish the banks, all you are doing is reducing the banks' capital, which you want to increase, and punishing shareholders, who have done nothing wrong.”

“Britain's destiny lies in Europe.”