Peter Mandelson Quotes (141 Quotes)

I very much regret this course of action.

I do not share the half-in, half-out attitude to the EU of some in Britain. Britain's place is in Europe.

There's nothing wrong with that. It's perfectly sensible from their point of view.

What we have to do is reinvent the idea of Europe.

I hope ... European member states will feel that this is a sensible, reasonable, burden-sharing arrangement that we need to introduce,

Progress does not depend on unilateral moves by particular players but on what everyone can put into the mix together. I have a fairly good idea of where Europe can end up eventually but moving the EU will really depend not just on our red lines, but the overall balance.

I maintain my insistence that goods held at the border must be unblocked and I hope that Member States will accept this and I expect them to do so,

I believe sincerely that India will be a winner from greater openness,

There are some very needy developing countries, like for example the cotton producers of west Africa.

We will take no lectures from anyone on the needs of developing countries, ... We have more developing country agricultural produce coming into our market than the whole of the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia combined.

The age-old fear of job loss on both sides of the Atlantic is now compounded by the fear that, as a result of this unprecedented wave of competition, old jobs will not be replaced by new ones. The standard of living of many seems threatened.

If the United States is similarly willing, as reports indicate this morning, to negotiate further on its agriculture offer, this is an important advance. I welcome it.

We still have a small breathing space to see whether it's possible to find a solution to the crisis we're now facing.

There is a clear preference by the great majority to adjust expectations,

common and coordinated platform.

I feel hopeful and confident that the ultimate prize -- stable, inclusive government in Northern Ireland and an unbreakable peace -- will at long last be within our grasp.

We had to make an offer, ... I don't want to be put on the defensive without having anything to offer.

He and I have crossed some rough seas in recent months, in particular on textiles. One of us has been steering the rudder while the other has been hoisting the sail, ... I think that we have managed to reach calmer waters. At least I hope so.

I do not believe it will be helpful to the (WTO) talks to make a further offer on agriculture, because this would simply further unbalance the negotiations,

I don't believe that a boycott is a legitimate response to public concern. I also think that a boycott hurts both sides and damages Iran's interests as much as it would European interests.

I don't think people will complain about that, in particular those who bring some perspective to this matter.

I have moved on from being a British parliamentarian, I have moved on from being a New Labour politician, I have moved on from being the supporter in the active day-to-day sense of Tony Blair.

Essentially we need a new social consensus for economic reform as New Labour has achieved in Britain.

I will do my utmost to find a common ground with my colleagues on the building blocks in the main negotiating areas. I have come here to do business with others, and I hope others have come to do business with me.

I hope we will get an agreement, if we are going to get an agreement at all, before the summit.

Stop walking away. Stop the Silence. Stop the name calling. Stop the blame game,

I certainly believe that we gain through open trade and liberalisation.

We need to make progress in other areas. We need to address the whole of the agenda if we are to make the progress we want to do,

We represent the masses, the progressive toiling masses.

I'm optimistic that we are actually seeing the opportunity of a generation being created in this.

Nobody by force of arms, use of violence, by bullying and intimidation is going to get any change to any decision ... that I, the Parades Commission or anyone else will have reached,

I believe that if you treat China as an enemy, then it is likely to become one.

We want to see further movement on the issue of market access in agriculture, but this cannot be viewed in isolation and WTO members need to understand this.

Simply demanding more in agriculture... does not add up to a serious negotiation,

I hope that China sees the value in reaching an accommodation over these teething problems.

Now, that may not be universal but I hope that they will consider on its merits what I've agreed, partly because it's good for Europe and good for China ... but also because there's no alternative to what I'm proposing.

It is not as it has been painted - with me being pro-nuclear and Margaret being anti-nuclear. We both have the same concerns as expressed in the energy white paper, and we both have the same appreciation that nuclear has to be part of the debate.

will not advance the trade reform talks as it is.

Our meeting has been useful, not in narrowing the differences but in defining them, ... I feel we have done everything we could reasonably be expected to do in agriculture.

Demanding more and more in agriculture, without proper balance in commitments from others in agriculture and outside of agriculture, does not add up to deal making.

The idea that there are likely to be shortages and shelves going empty is rather far from the truth,