Margaret Thatcher

One of the things being in politics has taught me is that men are not a reasoned or reasonable sex.

People think that at the top there isn't much room. They tend to think of it as an Everest. My message is that there is tons of room at the top.

The cocks may crow, but it's the hen that lays the egg.

To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.

Consensus is the negation of leadership.

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides.

Most women defend themselves. It is the female of the species-it is the tigress and lioness in you-which tends to defend when attacked.

You don't tell deliberate lies, but sometimes you have to be evasive.

I usually make up my mind about a man in ten seconds, and I very rarely change it.

I am extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end.