---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British political system and the…"
description: "\"The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we use about politics, it's completely unsustain..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png"
---

#  The British political system and the whole clapped out…

![“The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we use about politics, it's completely unsustainable. You either decide to be part of that transition to do something different. Or you cling to old certainties.” quote by Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png)

> “The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we use about politics, it's completely unsustainable. You either decide to be part of that transition to do something different. Or you cling to old certainties.”

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Calls for systemic change, warning against clinging to outdated political structures.

**In simple terms:** Old systems are unsustainable; change is needed.

Key Takeaway

Engage in reform or risk stagnation.

Themes

politics change systems

Mood

urgent critical

Type

political inspirational

When to use this quote

- policy making
- civic engagement
- career in politics

Key Concepts

governance institutional reform

Questions to Reflect On

- What part can you play in transformation?
- How to balance tradition with innovation?

A Different Perspective

Resistance to change can be strong.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Certainties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainties/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-system/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Transition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transition/) [Unsustainable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsustainable/)

## Related quotes

> [I was really lucky that I came to puberty at a time when music and politics were completely intertwined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-geldof/i-was-really-lucky-that-i-came-to-puberty-at-a-time-when-music-and/)

[Bob Geldof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-geldof/)

> [My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be-completely-separate-from-my/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [Beware the politically obsessed. They are often bright and interesting, but they have something missing in their natures; there is a hole, an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/beware-the-politically-obsessed-they-are-often-bright-and-interesting/)

[Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/)

> [I'm not sure I am a politician. I would say that I am still an artist, and I'm trying to use politics as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edi-rama/i-m-not-sure-i-am-a-politician-i-would-say-that-i-am-still-an-artist/)

[Edi Rama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edi-rama/)

> [But I don't need to use politics as a way of making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/but-i-don-t-need-to-use-politics-as-a-way-of-making-money/)

[Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/)

> [I don't want to pass a punitive law, or use politics as a vendetta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/i-don-t-want-to-pass-a-punitive-law-or-use-politics-as-a-vendetta/)

[Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/)

> [One of the greatest own goals in modern British political history helped create one of the biggest political parties in the western world, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/one-of-the-greatest-own-goals-in-modern-british-political-history/)

[Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/)

> [“More recently, during a debate in the House of Lords in 1978 one of the members said: "If there is a more hideous language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/more-recently-during-a-debate-in-the-house-of-lords-in-1978-one-of/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I had no intention of returning into the British political debate, really at all, even though I've obviously got very strong views on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-had-no-intention-of-returning-into-the-british-political-debate/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [The British political system is broken in many ways and needs big changes - the E.U. is not our only problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-british-political-system-is-broken-in-many-ways-and-needs-big/)

[Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/)

> [How stagnant and tepid the whole British political scene is now is just beyond belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/how-stagnant-and-tepid-the-whole-british-political-scene-is-now-is/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [High-level political wives are by no means new. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when patricians dominated British political life, it was common for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/high-level-political-wives-are-by-no-means-new-in-the-18th-and-19th/)

[Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/)

> [Corporate tax dodging impacts us across generations and over time. It is corrosive. It is unethical. It is unsustainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-hoffa/corporate-tax-dodging-impacts-us-across-generations-and-over-time-it/)

[James P. Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-hoffa/)

> [The brutal reality is that newer, more sprawling suburbs - and especially the cheap boom-years exburbs - aren't just a bit unsustainable, they're ruinously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/the-brutal-reality-is-that-newer-more-sprawling-suburbs-and/)

[Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/)

> [Tyranny is increasingly unsustainable in this post-cold-war era. It is doomed to failure. But it must be prodded to exit the stage with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eskinder-nega/tyranny-is-increasingly-unsustainable-in-this-post-cold-war-era-it-is/)

[Eskinder Nega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eskinder-nega/)

## More by Nick Clegg

> [I've just been away for a week, and I dropped my BlackBerry in the sea while I was messing around with the kids, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-ve-just-been-away-for-a-week-and-i-dropped-my-blackberry-in-the-sea/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [ \[All governments\] get into a rut where every potentially good story turns into a bad one. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/all-governments-get-into-a-rut-where-every-potentially-good-story/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I say this as a young dad seeing children going into primary school: I don't think we should underestimate the formative effect on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-say-this-as-a-young-dad-seeing-children-going-into-primary-school-i/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I am a passionate believer in freedom of speech. I would not support anything which would impinge on aggressive robust freedom of the British…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-am-a-passionate-believer-in-freedom-of-speech-i-would-not-support/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [For far too long the world's poorest people have seen no benefit from the vast natural resources in their own backyards. It is time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/for-far-too-long-the-world-s-poorest-people-have-seen-no-benefit-from/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I work in lockstep, hand in glove, with the prime minister on these issues, and as we are supportive to the Eurozone so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-work-in-lockstep-hand-in-glove-with-the-prime-minister-on-these/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [You see people literally in a different galaxy who are paying extraordinarily low rates of tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/you-see-people-literally-in-a-different-galaxy-who-are-paying/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [We are keen to stress that a strong euro zone is good for a strong United Kingdom. It's not for us to write the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/we-are-keen-to-stress-that-a-strong-euro-zone-is-good-for-a-strong/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I will not accept a new wave of fiscal retrenchment, of belt-tightening, without asking people at the top to make their contribution, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-will-not-accept-a-new-wave-of-fiscal-retrenchment-of-belt/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I am quite strict as a dad but I don't want to be censorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-am-quite-strict-as-a-dad-but-i-don-t-want-to-be-censorious/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [We have got to make sure there is proper independent scrutiny and accountability for people in the press, just as there should be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/we-have-got-to-make-sure-there-is-proper-independent-scrutiny-and/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I totally accept that it's a legitimate criticism that when you are involved in the day-to-day scrum of government... that what can get lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-totally-accept-that-it-s-a-legitimate-criticism-that-when-you-are/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [We need to teach our kids, because there is such a celebrity culture at the moment, that however rich you are, however famous you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/we-need-to-teach-our-kids-because-there-is-such-a-celebrity-culture/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [“There is a future for us in that reformed Union, if we are prepared to grasp it. Brexit does not have to be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/there-is-a-future-for-us-in-that-reformed-union-if-we-are-prepared-to/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [One of the best ways to make growth personal is to give employees a share in their firm, a real incentive to go the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/one-of-the-best-ways-to-make-growth-personal-is-to-give-employees-a/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

[Explore all 81 Nick Clegg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we use about politics, it's completely unsustainable. You either decide to be part of that transition to do something different. Or you cling to old certainties.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nick Clegg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/the-british-political-system-and-the-whole-clapped-out-westminster/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/the-british-political-system-and-the-whole-clapped-out-westminster/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/nick-clegg-8434_about_the-british-political-system-and-the-who_2965824.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we…” — Nick Clegg",
                "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": "Nick Clegg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The British political system and the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/the-british-political-system-and-the-whole-clapped-out-westminster/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/the-british-political-system-and-the-whole-clapped-out-westminster/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
