---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is one school of thought that says…"
description: "\"There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut ribbons, be funny and be a buffoon. The other school of thought is that we can do more. Scot..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg"
---

#  There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut…

![“There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut ribbons, be funny and be a buffoon. The other school of thought is that we can do more. Scotland is getting more powers. Wales is getting more powers. Greater Manchester. London needs more powers.” quote by Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg)

> “There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut ribbons, be funny and be a buffoon. The other school of thought is that we can do more. Scotland is getting more powers. Wales is getting more powers. Greater Manchester. London needs more powers.”

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

## About This Quote

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

Mayors should move beyond ceremonial duties to wield real power, similar to devolved regions, to address local needs effectively.

**In simple terms:** Mayors need real authority, not just symbolism.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for expanded mayoral powers.

Themes

governance devolution urban policy leadership empowerment

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- city council meetings
- public forums
- policy proposals
- legislative lobbying

Key Concepts

political science public administration regional autonomy

Questions to Reflect On

- What powers would most improve city governance?
- How can accountability be ensured with greater authority?

A Different Perspective

Political opposition may argue centralization risks.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buffoons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffoons/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [London Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london-needs-2427145/) [Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manchester/) [Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors/) [Mayors Cut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors-cut-2427143/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Needs Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-powers-2427144/) [Ribbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ribbons/) [Says Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-mayors-2427142/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Scotland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scotland/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wales/)

## Related quotes

> [Therefore, I feel convinced that any political picture can be changed to suit the needs of the powers that be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-heyerdahl/therefore-i-feel-convinced-that-any-political-picture-can-be-changed/)

[Thor Heyerdahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-heyerdahl/)

> [We have lost the good old British spirit. Instead we have American journalism and black-shirted buffoons making a cheap imitation of ice-cream sellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-mosley/we-have-lost-the-good-old-british-spirit-instead-we-have-american/)

[Oswald Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-mosley/)

> [Oh! a private buffoon is a light-hearted loon, If you listen to popular rumour; From morning to night he's so joyous and bright, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/oh-a-private-buffoon-is-a-light-hearted-loon-if-you-listen-to-popular/)

[W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/)

> [We are the buffoons of our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-aretino/we-are-the-buffoons-of-our-children/)

[Pietro Aretino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-aretino/)

> [I think Donald Trump is a complete and utter buffoon and a cancer to our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-think-donald-trump-is-a-complete-and-utter-buffoon-and-a-cancer-to/)

[Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/)

> [“Buffoons may have serious faces behind their mask!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-jack/buffoons-may-have-serious-faces-behind-their-mask/)

[Nelson Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-jack/)

> [Olympus has been a much welcomed return to my Shakespearean roots. King Aegeus demanded a much greater range and depth that I've yet had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-shiels/olympus-has-been-a-much-welcomed-return-to-my-shakespearean-roots/)

[Graham Shiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-shiels/)

> [It is by vivacity and wit that man shines in company; but trite jokes and loud laughter reduce him to a buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-by-vivacity-and-wit-that-man-shines-in-company-but-trite-jokes/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [ Everybody was telling \[the Democrats\], the media, everybody telling them they're gonna win in a landslide, \[Donald\] Trump's a buffoon, look at his campaign… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-was-telling-the-democrats-the-media-everybody-telling-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I refuse the title of artist to those who owe their reputations to a physical deformity. I regard them as buffoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bernhardt/i-refuse-the-title-of-artist-to-those-who-owe-their-reputations-to-a/)

[Sarah Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bernhardt/)

> [That is Obama's signature move: Invent people who are saying ridiculous things and then encourage the audience to laugh at these made-up buffoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/that-is-obama-s-signature-move-invent-people-who-are-saying/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [“I had artistic classical training, and when you learn the classics for so many years, you might gain audacity, power and confidence to subvert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-roque/i-had-artistic-classical-training-and-when-you-learn-the-classics-for/)

[Nuno Roque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-roque/)

> [I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-elwes/i-ll-explain-and-i-ll-use-small-words-so-that-you-ll-be-sure-to/)

[Cary Elwes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-elwes/)

> [You're never going to see me playing a buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/you-re-never-going-to-see-me-playing-a-buffoon/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [A joker is near akin to a buffoon; and neither of them is the least related to wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/a-joker-is-near-akin-to-a-buffoon-and-neither-of-them-is-the-least/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

## More by Sadiq Khan

> [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [I used to do stand-up, actually. I had a ten-minute routine I did for a thing called 'Stand Up for Labour' where we'd go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-used-to-do-stand-up-actually-i-had-a-ten-minute-routine-i-did-for-a/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Vibrant political parties are vital to the health of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/vibrant-political-parties-are-vital-to-the-health-of-our-democracy/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [When Pakistan beat England at cricket, my Pakistani cousins remind me how English and British I am. When they say, 'You're one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/when-pakistan-beat-england-at-cricket-my-pakistani-cousins-remind-me/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Londoners, Mancunians, and Brits across the country will never, ever be cowed by terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/londoners-mancunians-and-brits-across-the-country-will-never-ever-be/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Victims of crime and the wider community deserve a grown-up debate on our criminal justice system and how we can make it work -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-of-crime-and-the-wider-community-deserve-a-grown-up-debate-on/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [I see this rise in rough sleeping and homelessness - in one of the wealthiest cities in the world - as a growing source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-see-this-rise-in-rough-sleeping-and-homelessness-in-one-of-the/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [My experience in relation to taking on the preachers of hate was saying to them it's compatible being British, being Western, being Muslim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/my-experience-in-relation-to-taking-on-the-preachers-of-hate-was/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [The U.K. has some of the best protections in law for religious groups in the world. They aren't perfect, but they provide a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/the-u-k-has-some-of-the-best-protections-in-law-for-religious-groups/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Muslims, like most other voters, don't just want 'one of their own,' they want someone who best represents their values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/muslims-like-most-other-voters-don-t-just-want-one-of-their-own-they/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [London has always been open to trade, people, ideas. We have to keep that. I want to compete not just with New York, Paris,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/london-has-always-been-open-to-trade-people-ideas-we-have-to-keep/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [London is a great city full of amazing people from all backgrounds and when Londoners face adversity, we always pull together. We stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/london-is-a-great-city-full-of-amazing-people-from-all-backgrounds/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted - legal aid helps achieve this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-want-to-know-that-the-true-perpetrators-of-their-crime-are/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Voting, for me, has always been a family affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/voting-for-me-has-always-been-a-family-affair/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

> [Immigrant communities have been genuinely accepted in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/immigrant-communities-have-been-genuinely-accepted-in-london/)

[Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

[Explore all 126 Sadiq Khan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/)

## More Buffoons quotes

> [We have lost the good old British spirit. Instead we have American journalism and black-shirted buffoons making a cheap imitation of ice-cream sellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-mosley/we-have-lost-the-good-old-british-spirit-instead-we-have-american/)

[Oswald Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-mosley/)

> [You're never going to see me playing a buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/you-re-never-going-to-see-me-playing-a-buffoon/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-elwes/i-ll-explain-and-i-ll-use-small-words-so-that-you-ll-be-sure-to/)

[Cary Elwes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-elwes/)

> [“I had artistic classical training, and when you learn the classics for so many years, you might gain audacity, power and confidence to subvert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-roque/i-had-artistic-classical-training-and-when-you-learn-the-classics-for/)

[Nuno Roque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-roque/)

> [That is Obama's signature move: Invent people who are saying ridiculous things and then encourage the audience to laugh at these made-up buffoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/that-is-obama-s-signature-move-invent-people-who-are-saying/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [I refuse the title of artist to those who owe their reputations to a physical deformity. I regard them as buffoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bernhardt/i-refuse-the-title-of-artist-to-those-who-owe-their-reputations-to-a/)

[Sarah Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bernhardt/)

> [ Everybody was telling \[the Democrats\], the media, everybody telling them they're gonna win in a landslide, \[Donald\] Trump's a buffoon, look at his campaign… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-was-telling-the-democrats-the-media-everybody-telling-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It is by vivacity and wit that man shines in company; but trite jokes and loud laughter reduce him to a buffoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-by-vivacity-and-wit-that-man-shines-in-company-but-trite-jokes/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Olympus has been a much welcomed return to my Shakespearean roots. King Aegeus demanded a much greater range and depth that I've yet had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-shiels/olympus-has-been-a-much-welcomed-return-to-my-shakespearean-roots/)

[Graham Shiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-shiels/)

> [“Buffoons may have serious faces behind their mask!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-jack/buffoons-may-have-serious-faces-behind-their-mask/)

[Nelson Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-jack/)

> [I think Donald Trump is a complete and utter buffoon and a cancer to our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-think-donald-trump-is-a-complete-and-utter-buffoon-and-a-cancer-to/)

[Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/)

> [We are the buffoons of our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-aretino/we-are-the-buffoons-of-our-children/)

[Pietro Aretino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-aretino/)

> [Oh! a private buffoon is a light-hearted loon, If you listen to popular rumour; From morning to night he's so joyous and bright, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/oh-a-private-buffoon-is-a-light-hearted-loon-if-you-listen-to-popular/)

[W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/)

> [A joker is near akin to a buffoon; and neither of them is the least related to wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/a-joker-is-near-akin-to-a-buffoon-and-neither-of-them-is-the-least/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [It is unpardonable conceit not to laugh at your own jokes. Joking is undignified; that is why it is so good for one's soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-unpardonable-conceit-not-to-laugh-at-your-own-jokes-joking-is/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

[Browse all 49 Buffoons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buffoons/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut ribbons, be funny and be a buffoon. The other school of thought is that we can do more. Scotland is getting more powers. Wales is getting more powers. Greater Manchester. London needs more powers.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sadiq Khan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says-mayors-should-cut-ribbons-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Buffoons"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says-mayors-should-cut-ribbons-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/sadiq-khan-3603_buffoons_there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says_1040263.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is one school of thought that says Mayors should cut ribbons, be funny and be a buffoon. The other…” — Sadiq Khan",
                "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": "Sadiq Khan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is one school of thought...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says-mayors-should-cut-ribbons-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/there-is-one-school-of-thought-that-says-mayors-should-cut-ribbons-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
