--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before I went into parliament I used to…" description: "\"Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a business name.\" — Grant Shapps" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg" --- # Before I went into parliament I used to write business… ![“Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a business name.” quote by Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg) > “Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a business name.” [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Transition from business writing to politics, highlighting adaptable communication skills. **In simple terms:** I wrote under a business name before politics. Key Takeaway Leverage past experience. Themes career change communication politics Mood pragmatic neutral Type informative reflective When to use this quote - policy drafting - public speaking - media relations Key Concepts branding public service adaptability Questions to Reflect On - How does prior writing shape political messaging? - What challenges arise in rebranding? A Different Perspective Political context may demand different tone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ## Related quotes > [“People seem to think that if a man is a Member of Parliament he may do what he pleases. ... 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Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [I have enough energy to write with and as that is all I have any business doing anyhow, I can with one eye squinted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-have-enough-energy-to-write-with-and-as-that-is-all-i-have-any/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [To write about business one should be in business, just as in writing about Tasmania one should visit Tasmania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/to-write-about-business-one-should-be-in-business-just-as-in-writing/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [It is the gossip columnist's business to write about what is none of his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/it-is-the-gossip-columnist-s-business-to-write-about-what-is-none-of/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [When you write a business fable, people get caught up in the story and don't get judgmental about what you're teaching them. If you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/when-you-write-a-business-fable-people-get-caught-up-in-the-story-and/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [I think when companies are struggling, they don't want to talk to the press. The guys who write business books aren't interested in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-think-when-companies-are-struggling-they-don-t-want-to-talk-to-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/authors-like-cats-because-they-are-such-quiet-lovable-wise-creatures/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [I find that most books that I don't like are those in which the authors have indulged themselves. I can almost sense when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/i-find-that-most-books-that-i-don-t-like-are-those-in-which-the/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [I would not be like those Authors, who forgive themselves some particular lines for the sake of a whole Poem, and vice versa a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/i-would-not-be-like-those-authors-who-forgive-themselves-some/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Like most authors, I'm a raging egomaniac. I know that about myself. And I know that, if I had internet access, I would waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bentley-little/like-most-authors-i-m-a-raging-egomaniac-i-know-that-about-myself-and/) [Bentley Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bentley-little/) > [“I like authors who experiment with narrative and delve into very specific conditions within their characters in order to expose universal truths about humanity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-knox/i-like-authors-who-experiment-with-narrative-and-delve-into-very/) [Amanda Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-knox/) > [“I often get asked the question, 'If you had to compare your writing to an author who would it be?' My answer is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tia-long/i-often-get-asked-the-question-if-you-had-to-compare-your-writing-to/) Ashley Tia Long > [Before you can become a writer, you have to be a reader, and a reader of everything, at that. To the best of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/before-you-can-become-a-writer-you-have-to-be-a-reader-and-a-reader/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [If my public existence does anything worthwhile, hopefully it at least demystifies the author a bit, because I know when I was younger I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-my-public-existence-does-anything-worthwhile-hopefully-it-at-least/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Grant Shapps > [It is often said there is a great deal of talent in the Conservative Parliamentary Party. This is true, but too many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/it-is-often-said-there-is-a-great-deal-of-talent-in-the-conservative/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Struggling to start a small business is all-encompassing. It is a 24-hour job that places strain on those involved. As well as worrying about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/struggling-to-start-a-small-business-is-all-encompassing-it-is-a-24/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Chemo is properly punishing, and it's hard to do things at the usual level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/chemo-is-properly-punishing-and-it-s-hard-to-do-things-at-the-usual/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [MPs are only elected thanks to the help of ordinary members - activists on the ground who traipse the streets, post leaflets and engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/mps-are-only-elected-thanks-to-the-help-of-ordinary-members-activists/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [No government can maintain the public's confidence if it is outwardly split.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/no-government-can-maintain-the-public-s-confidence-if-it-is-outwardly/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [People like me - who set up a homelessness foundation, worked with all the homeless charities, authored probably six of seven homelessness papers -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/people-like-me-who-set-up-a-homelessness-foundation-worked-with-all/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Look at the growing middle class in India. Small businesses are not just a source of jobs and prosperity: they are the driving force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/look-at-the-growing-middle-class-in-india-small-businesses-are-not/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Look, ideally I'd like to have free money to give to everybody. The reality is in government you have to choose and make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/look-ideally-i-d-like-to-have-free-money-to-give-to-everybody-the/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [I think it's absolutely extraordinary that any Conservative MP considered even for one minute installing Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/i-think-it-s-absolutely-extraordinary-that-any-conservative-mp/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [The reality is that it would be wiser and even kinder for politicians to be responsible about what they claim the NHS will do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/the-reality-is-that-it-would-be-wiser-and-even-kinder-for-politicians/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Businesses create every penny of the wealth we need to pay for our nation's schools, our NHS and our pensions. They are our only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/businesses-create-every-penny-of-the-wealth-we-need-to-pay-for-our/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [We may forget it, among the glitz of the Christmas lights, but capitalism can be a profoundly moral force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/we-may-forget-it-among-the-glitz-of-the-christmas-lights-but/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [Our brave servicemen and women sacrifice so much for us all - whether they're spending months away from their families and friends or putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/our-brave-servicemen-and-women-sacrifice-so-much-for-us-all-whether/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [One of my priorities is getting the trains to run on time, and as a commuter myself I understand all too well the frustration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/one-of-my-priorities-is-getting-the-trains-to-run-on-time-and-as-a/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) > [I've always thought that the level of homelessness in society is likely to be a truer measure of how civilised we are then almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-level-of-homelessness-in-society-is/) [Grant Shapps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) [Explore all 100 Grant Shapps quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a business name.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Grant Shapps" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to-write-business-publications/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to-write-business-publications/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f8/grant-shapps-6145_books_before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to_943199.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before I went into parliament I used to write business publications, and like many authors wrote under a…” — Grant Shapps", "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": "Grant Shapps", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-shapps/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before I went into parliament I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to-write-business-publications/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-shapps/before-i-went-into-parliament-i-used-to-write-business-publications/#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 } } ] } ```