--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I don’t understand is that when the…" description: "\"“What I don’t understand is that when the British public voted to name a research vessel Boaty McBoatface, the government said no. But when we voted to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg" --- # What I don’t understand is that when the British public… ![“What I don’t understand is that when the British public voted to name a research vessel Boaty McBoatface, the government said no. But when we voted to commit cultural and economic seppuku, the powers-that-be didn’t seem to have a fucking clue …” quote by Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg) > ““What I don’t understand is that when the British public voted to name a research vessel Boaty McBoatface, the government said no. But when we voted to commit cultural and economic seppuku, the powers-that-be didn’t seem to have a fucking clue …”” [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage critiques contradictory public decisions: rejecting a whimsical name for a vessel while allowing disastrous cultural and economic choices, implying governmental negligence. **In simple terms:** People accept trivial rejections but ignore serious mistakes. Key Takeaway Question authority and demand accountability. Themes politics culture decision making Mood critical skeptical Type political satirical When to use this quote - voting - public debates - policy reviews Key Concepts public policy media influence Questions to Reflect On - Why do societies tolerate harmful policies? - How can public discourse become more responsible? A Different Perspective May be hyperbolic and lack nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Brexit promised three hundred and fifty million a week for the NHS, they promised controls on immigration, they promised an end to the housing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/brexit-promised-three-hundred-and-fifty-million-a-week-for-the-nhs/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [I just want to faithfully represent the public that voted for me and diligently work for all the people in Israel. If I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/i-just-want-to-faithfully-represent-the-public-that-voted-for-me-and/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [I was on 'X Factor' the day after the Brexit vote. People voted for Brexit. But the public also voted for me, they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saara-aalto/i-was-on-x-factor-the-day-after-the-brexit-vote-people-voted-for/) [Saara Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saara-aalto/) > [I mean, that's a sad day in America when you're recalled because you did what you said you were going to do, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-pearce/i-mean-that-s-a-sad-day-in-america-when-you-re-recalled-because-you/) [Russell Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-pearce/) > [In 2016 the public voted by a majority to leave the E.U. As I can see from my mailbag, some are angry at being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/in-2016-the-public-voted-by-a-majority-to-leave-the-e-u-as-i-can-see/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [We were put together by the public, they voted for us to be in the band. So we were very much the public's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/we-were-put-together-by-the-public-they-voted-for-us-to-be-in-the/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [“I heard the Empire has a tyrannical and repressive government!" "What form of government is that?" said Ponder Stibbons. "A tautology," said the Dean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-heard-the-empire-has-a-tyrannical-and-repressive-government-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [All of what the government said is lies upon lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-abu-khattala/all-of-what-the-government-said-is-lies-upon-lies/) Ahmed Abu Khattala > [“There must be a government, said the first blind man I'm not so sure, but there is, it will be a government of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/there-must-be-a-government-said-the-first-blind-man-i-m-not-so-sure/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [I don't want to get people nervous falling off their chairs, but Social Security is a socialist program. It's a program by which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-don-t-want-to-get-people-nervous-falling-off-their-chairs-but/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [This is quite public knowledge. The South African government has said they're doing it. They've started seizing their first couple hundred farms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-southern/this-is-quite-public-knowledge-the-south-african-government-has-said/) [Lauren Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-southern/) > [“The Jeremiah guy invited me to come work for the government. He said he was with the military and they were looking for guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-jeremiah-guy-invited-me-to-come-work-for-the-government-he-said/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [I think what we've had in the past is the government has said, "Well, we need to collect the whole haystack." And the haystack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-what-we-ve-had-in-the-past-is-the-government-has-said-well-we/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I mean, Ed Snowden was basically saying the same things that Bill Binney and Thomas Drake and other U.S. whistleblowers had said before him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-mean-ed-snowden-was-basically-saying-the-same-things-that-bill/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [This government has always said increasing pay is something for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-morris/this-government-has-always-said-increasing-pay-is-something-for/) [Estelle Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle-morris/) ## More by Claire North > [“She smiled and understood my meaning without it needing to be said. She leaned in close and murmured in my ear, ‘The world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/she-smiled-and-understood-my-meaning-without-it-needing-to-be-said/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“alone with the endless morning, and knew that the world was beautiful beyond naming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/alone-with-the-endless-morning-and-knew-that-the-world-was-beautiful/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“My loss of faith was not revelatory, nor intensely distressing. It was a prolonged growth of resignation, one which the events of my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/my-loss-of-faith-was-not-revelatory-nor-intensely-distressing-it-was/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Everyone who dies was once a child; every child once had a dream of something else; every child must die. It is important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/everyone-who-dies-was-once-a-child-every-child-once-had-a-dream-of/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“No one’s really racist any more, just as no one’s really sexist. They’ve just got their view about things, you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/no-one-s-really-racist-any-more-just-as-no-one-s-really-sexist-they/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“If you forget the joy of this day, then what joy you give to others will also be forgotten, and your life has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/if-you-forget-the-joy-of-this-day-then-what-joy-you-give-to-others/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Until you have not been free, you cannot understand what freedom means.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/until-you-have-not-been-free-you-cannot-understand-what-freedom-means/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“She was crying, silently, holding my arm, crying. I let her cry a while, held her close, felt her snot and tears on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/she-was-crying-silently-holding-my-arm-crying-i-let-her-cry-a-while/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Time was simple, is simple. We can divide it into simple parts, measure it, arrange dinner by it, drink whisky to its passage. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/time-was-simple-is-simple-we-can-divide-it-into-simple-parts-measure/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“As a boy, I grew up in a time of invention, of aspiration and wonderful dreams, and to be a scientist, a doctor, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/as-a-boy-i-grew-up-in-a-time-of-invention-of-aspiration-and-wonderful/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“No, it’s … sometimes it’s that, but sometimes … I’m sent for an idea. In Greenland I was sent for a man, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/no-it-s-sometimes-it-s-that-but-sometimes-i-m-sent-for-an-idea-in/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Have you ever or are you now involved in espionage or sabotage, or in terrorist activities, or genocide? I think we can put a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/have-you-ever-or-are-you-now-involved-in-espionage-or-sabotage-or-in/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“In the end, he turned the radio on, and fell asleep to the sounds of either country or Western—he could never work out which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/in-the-end-he-turned-the-radio-on-and-fell-asleep-to-the-sounds-of/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“We all die. We don't have to live our lives fearing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/we-all-die-we-don-t-have-to-live-our-lives-fearing-it/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) > [“Ours is the fellowship of strangers who know a secret that we cannot express. We are both of us broken, shattered, hollow and alone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/ours-is-the-fellowship-of-strangers-who-know-a-secret-that-we-cannot/) [Claire North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) [Explore all 68 Claire North quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/) ## More British Public quotes > [It turns out that understanding the British public is not rocket science. The British appreciate honesty and they also have a bonkers, off-the-wall sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-scherzinger/it-turns-out-that-understanding-the-british-public-is-not-rocket/) [Nicole Scherzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-scherzinger/) > [I love the British public and the British fans; they are true boxing fans. If you get them on your side, you can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amir-khan/i-love-the-british-public-and-the-british-fans-they-are-true-boxing/) [Amir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amir-khan/) > [The monarchy is foremost a business, and it's important to them that the British public continue to finance the excessive luxurious lifestyles of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-monarchy-is-foremost-a-business-and-it-s-important-to-them-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The British public are not children who need protection from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-miller/the-british-public-are-not-children-who-need-protection-from-the-truth/) [Gina Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-miller/) > [We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-know-no-spectacle-so-ridiculous-as-the-british-public-in-one-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know the majority of the British public wants to help when they see suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/i-know-the-majority-of-the-british-public-wants-to-help-when-they-see/) [Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/) > [That's the only time when newspapers have some influence, when they are pushing the British public in a direction they are already minded to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-neil/that-s-the-only-time-when-newspapers-have-some-influence-when-they/) [Andrew Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-neil/) > [The British public are kind and generous, have buckets of common sense, and value fairness. We are known for it; other nations sometimes take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/the-british-public-are-kind-and-generous-have-buckets-of-common-sense/) [Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/) > [I'm in favour of more democracy - let the British public decide what the future of the monarchy is and what shape it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-lewis/i-m-in-favour-of-more-democracy-let-the-british-public-decide-what/) [Clive Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-lewis/) > [“One of the requisites of sanity is to disagree with the majority of the British public.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/one-of-the-requisites-of-sanity-is-to-disagree-with-the-majority-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The British public deserve real choices not forced, technocratic arguments about variations of the same dead end arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-lewis/the-british-public-deserve-real-choices-not-forced-technocratic/) [Clive Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-lewis/) > [When I came out in September 1994, I was, as far as I know, the only out lesbian in British public life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandi-toksvig/when-i-came-out-in-september-1994-i-was-as-far-as-i-know-the-only-out/) [Sandi Toksvig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandi-toksvig/) > [I do feel a certain love from the British public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-do-feel-a-certain-love-from-the-british-public/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [It is doubtless wise, when a reform is introduced, to try to persuade the British public that it is not a reform at all;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-doubtless-wise-when-a-reform-is-introduced-to-try-to-persuade/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The British public cannot be treated like fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priti-patel/the-british-public-cannot-be-treated-like-fools/) [Priti Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priti-patel/) Browse all 40 British Public quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What I don’t understand is that when the British public voted to name a research vessel Boaty McBoatface, the government said no. But when we voted to commit cultural and economic seppuku, the powers-that-be didn’t seem to have a fucking clue …”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claire North" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the-british-public-voted-to-name/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "British Public" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the-british-public-voted-to-name/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/claire-north-10078_british-public_what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the_496916.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I don’t understand is that when the British public voted to name a research vessel Boaty McBoatface…” — Claire North", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Claire North", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-north/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What I don’t understand is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the-british-public-voted-to-name/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-north/what-i-don-t-understand-is-that-when-the-british-public-voted-to-name/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```