--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew…" description: "\"Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.\" — Kenneth Clarke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png" --- # Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and… ![“Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.” quote by Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png) > “Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.” [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political bluffing and bravado are ineffective in diplomatic settings like Brussels. **In simple terms:** Showboating fails in serious political negotiations. Key Takeaway Prioritize substance over theatrics. Themes politics diplomacy authenticity Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - parliamentary debates - international summits - media statements Key Concepts European Union policy negotiation Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance confidence with humility? - What tactics improve diplomatic credibility? A Different Perspective Some may argue boldness can be strategic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bluff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluff/) [Brussels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brussels/) [John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Knew Bluff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-bluff-2740073/) [Margaret thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/margaret-thatcher/) [Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thatcher/) [Thatcher John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thatcher-john-2740072/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [In a way, the debate about Margaret Thatcher in Britain has just gotten fossilized in this notion that she is either this she-devil who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-the-debate-about-margaret-thatcher-in-britain-has-just/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [Every argument that Margaret Thatcher ever made internationally didn't have a great deal to do with her contempt for Communism - she never really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mulroney/every-argument-that-margaret-thatcher-ever-made-internationally-didn/) [Brian Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mulroney/) > [Margaret Thatcher has shown that there is power and dignity to be won by defying the status quo and the majority rather than by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/margaret-thatcher-has-shown-that-there-is-power-and-dignity-to-be-won/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Of course Margaret Thatcher was a remarkable and strong-willed figure but she was also a pragmatist, just as ready to upset her right wing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/of-course-margaret-thatcher-was-a-remarkable-and-strong-willed-figure/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [Margaret Thatcher was a great leader for her nation at a pivotal and a perilous time. So, I find the comparison flattering, but that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/margaret-thatcher-was-a-great-leader-for-her-nation-at-a-pivotal-and/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Her iron will won international respect. Her unabashed femininity gained women's. Margaret Thatcher was a lady's lady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-burfitt-dons/her-iron-will-won-international-respect-her-unabashed-femininity/) [Louise Burfitt-Dons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-burfitt-dons/) > [Britain's done a lot of changing in the past 50 years. The decline of manufacturing and heavy industry under Margaret Thatcher ripped the economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sarkar/britain-s-done-a-lot-of-changing-in-the-past-50-years-the-decline-of/) [Ash Sarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sarkar/) > [She ( Margaret Thatcher )is democratic enough to talk down to anyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-mitchell/she-margaret-thatcher-is-democratic-enough-to-talk-down-to-anyone/) [Austin Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-mitchell/) > [Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/margaret-thatcher-had-more-impact-on-the-world-than-any-woman-ruler/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [I am not running as Son of Margaret Thatcher. I have my own priorities and my own programmes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-major/i-am-not-running-as-son-of-margaret-thatcher-i-have-my-own-priorities/) [John Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-major/) > [ I think psychologically \[Margaret Thatcher\] is really worth studying. I am reading Charles Moore's biography of her, and he has gotten us right there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/i-think-psychologically-margaret-thatcher-is-really-worth-studying-i/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If there is a better singer in England than Craig David, then I am Margaret Thatcher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/if-there-is-a-better-singer-in-england-than-craig-david-then-i-am/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [They didn't even like Margaret Thatcher but at least there was Margaret Thatcher. There have been women, you know, Sonia Gandhi for heaven's sakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-clinton/they-didn-t-even-like-margaret-thatcher-but-at-least-there-was/) [Kate Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-clinton/) > [ \[Margaret Thatcher\] is a woman who, when she wrote her entry for "Who's Who," didn't include her mother. Now whether that was corrected in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/margaret-thatcher-is-a-woman-who-when-she-wrote-her-entry-for-who-s/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [ \[Margaret\] Thatcher could fake her class background, but she couldn't fake the quality of her mind. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/margaret-thatcher-could-fake-her-class-background-but-she-couldn-t/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) ## More by Kenneth Clarke > [Thatcher was the best politician I have ever witnessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/thatcher-was-the-best-politician-i-have-ever-witnessed/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-am-sorry-to-upset-my-colleagues-by-saying-we-wasted-four-years-in/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [All political careers are a rollercoaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/all-political-careers-are-a-rollercoaster/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [Britain's political voice depends on our role as a leading and influential member of the E.U. If we leave, we are of less value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/britain-s-political-voice-depends-on-our-role-as-a-leading-and/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [Jonathan Hill is an old friend of mine; I have worked with him for many years and know him to be a man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/jonathan-hill-is-an-old-friend-of-mine-i-have-worked-with-him-for/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I look forward to the day when the Westminster Parliament is just a council chamber in Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-look-forward-to-the-day-when-the-westminster-parliament-is-just-a/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I don't think at my age... you can start ruling people out in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-don-t-think-at-my-age-you-can-start-ruling-people-out-in-politics/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I'm notorious for only using my mobile phone for outgoing calls: nobody knows my London number and I certainly don't do anything online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-m-notorious-for-only-using-my-mobile-phone-for-outgoing-calls/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [No country anywhere in the world allows material that genuinely puts national security at risk into the public domain, and that includes a courtroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/no-country-anywhere-in-the-world-allows-material-that-genuinely-puts/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [In these home affairs things I think occasionally it's the duty of politicians on both sides to turn round to the tabloids and right-wing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/in-these-home-affairs-things-i-think-occasionally-it-s-the-duty-of/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [My entire political career has been based on building up Britain's political standing and economic prosperity through our membership of the E.U. and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/my-entire-political-career-has-been-based-on-building-up-britain-s/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [Of course I'd have loved to be Prime Minister. But I'm not nursing a grievance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/of-course-i-d-have-loved-to-be-prime-minister-but-i-m-not-nursing-a/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I am getting frustrated by the fact that we have been out of office for eight years. I desperately want to lead the Conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-am-getting-frustrated-by-the-fact-that-we-have-been-out-of-office/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [Referendums are designed to get round parliamentary government, and people only demand referendums when they think they can't get a majority in parliament. Mussolini…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/referendums-are-designed-to-get-round-parliamentary-government-and/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [I am a firm believer in open justice, and an opponent of closed justice in any normal circumstances. But I am also an opponent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-open-justice-and-an-opponent-of-closed/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) [Explore all 47 Kenneth Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) ## More Bluff quotes > [Never run a bluff with a six-gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-masterson/never-run-a-bluff-with-a-six-gun/) [Bat Masterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-masterson/) > [You can't bluff someone that's not paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantegna/you-can-t-bluff-someone-that-s-not-paying-attention/) [Joe Mantegna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantegna/) > [Memphis don't bluff. It's a tight knit community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fizdale/memphis-don-t-bluff-it-s-a-tight-knit-community/) [David Fizdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fizdale/) > [As president of the United States, I don't bluff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-president-of-the-united-states-i-don-t-bluff/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“When life fucks you over, you don’t slow down. You just keep going, keep moving, eyes peeled for the next opportunity, the next dance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/when-life-fucks-you-over-you-don-t-slow-down-you-just-keep-going-keep/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [I was from Scotts Bluff, Neb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-meisner/i-was-from-scotts-bluff-neb/) [Randy Meisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-meisner/) > [“And what if there are no damsels in distress? What if I knew that, and I called your bluff? Don't you think every kitten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/and-what-if-there-are-no-damsels-in-distress-what-if-i-knew-that-and/) [Ani Difranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [“Bluff ain't effective for people of type-A.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/bluff-ain-t-effective-for-people-of-type-a/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [A bluff taken seriously is more useful than a serious threat interpreted as a bluff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/a-bluff-taken-seriously-is-more-useful-than-a-serious-threat/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Poker is really about reading people. What happens when you bluff? What does it look like when the other guy bluffs? Does he look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hellmuth/poker-is-really-about-reading-people-what-happens-when-you-bluff-what/) [Phil Hellmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hellmuth/) > [“At literary gatherings he made a practice of slipping away from “the gaunt and great, the famed for conversation” (as he called them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-literary-gatherings-he-made-a-practice-of-slipping-away-from-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fencing is a game of subtlety, and bluff can be met with counter-bluff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-l-de-beaumont/fencing-is-a-game-of-subtlety-and-bluff-can-be-met-with-counter-bluff/) [Charles L De Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-l-de-beaumont/) > [Nothing in baseball can bring me down to the level where I was growing up in Pine Bluff, crying and broke. This is fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torii-hunter/nothing-in-baseball-can-bring-me-down-to-the-level-where-i-was/) [Torii Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torii-hunter/) > [I love The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, an Auberge Property in Bluffton, South Carolina. It's a spectacular corner of the world, with massive old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simmons/i-love-the-inn-at-palmetto-bluff-an-auberge-property-in-bluffton/) [Gail Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simmons/) > [If you never bluff, you'll rarely get called. If you bluff all the time, you'll always get called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hellmuth/if-you-never-bluff-you-ll-rarely-get-called-if-you-bluff-all-the-time/) [Phil Hellmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hellmuth/) [Browse all 45 Bluff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluff/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenneth Clarke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-that-bluff-and-bravado-doesn-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bluff" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-that-bluff-and-bravado-doesn-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/kenneth-clarke-14375_bluff_margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-th_2701859.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew that bluff and bravado doesn't work in Brussels.” — Kenneth Clarke", "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": "Kenneth Clarke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Margaret Thatcher and John Major knew...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-that-bluff-and-bravado-doesn-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/margaret-thatcher-and-john-major-knew-that-bluff-and-bravado-doesn-t/#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 } } ] } ```