--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thinking back to my time in the U.K…" description: "\"Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election and then working in the British government, the thing that has really driven me is this idea ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg" --- # Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election… ![“Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election and then working in the British government, the thing that has really driven me is this idea of giving power to people and taking power out of the hands of those who try and grab it all for themselves.” quote by Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg) > “Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election and then working in the British government, the thing that has really driven me is this idea of giving power to people and taking power out of the hands of those who try and grab it all for themselves.” [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He advocates shifting authority from elites to citizens, reducing centralized control. **In simple terms:** Give power to people, limit elite dominance. Key Takeaway Support grassroots empowerment. Themes politics democracy power authority Mood inspirational critical Type political activist When to use this quote - voting reforms - community organizing - policy advocacy - public debates Key Concepts decentralization citizen participation Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively claim power? - What safeguards prevent new elites from forming? A Different Perspective Power shifts can be resisted by entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-government/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Giving Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-power-611279/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-people/) [Taking Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-power-1186683/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Working British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-british-1693885/) ## Related quotes > [Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/black-power-is-giving-power-to-people-who-have-not-had-power-to/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [One of the things I'm so determined to preserve and restore is the fact that you can be the kid who was born in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/one-of-the-things-i-m-so-determined-to-preserve-and-restore-is-the/) [Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/) > [I came from an era when I was so proud to be working for the British Broadcasting Corporation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-edmonds/i-came-from-an-era-when-i-was-so-proud-to-be-working-for-the-british/) [Noel Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-edmonds/) > [Nothing is as hard as working on a British soap in this industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/nothing-is-as-hard-as-working-on-a-british-soap-in-this-industry/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [It is necessary to bring our life in order, to examine each thing, and ask ourselves if it is bringing power into our life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-is-necessary-to-bring-our-life-in-order-to-examine-each-thing-and/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Taking power is fine. But what do you do when you are in power?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/taking-power-is-fine-but-what-do-you-do-when-you-are-in-power/) [Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/) > [I'm not taking power. I'm catalyzing systemic change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/i-m-not-taking-power-i-m-catalyzing-systemic-change/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [“My father will hunt you for taking his power if he finds out,” he said into the frigid dark. “And kill you for learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/my-father-will-hunt-you-for-taking-his-power-if-he-finds-out-he-said/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [Every time I tell my story, I feel that I am taking some power away from the terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-murad/every-time-i-tell-my-story-i-feel-that-i-am-taking-some-power-away/) [Nadia Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-murad/) > [It's a little bit annoying, because it feels like everybody's taking the power away from you. Everybody's taking your adult life away from you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/it-s-a-little-bit-annoying-because-it-feels-like-everybody-s-taking/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [Taking power away from a man is a dangerous thing. Someone always pays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/taking-power-away-from-a-man-is-a-dangerous-thing-someone-always-pays/) [Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/) > [People can go to the extreme like what we saw during the Cultural Revolution. For instance, in China, when people take everything into their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-tsang/people-can-go-to-the-extreme-like-what-we-saw-during-the-cultural/) [Donald Tsang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-tsang/) > [ “It’s my very unsophisticated way of taking the power back. I’ve always had an issue with \[the idea that\]: “OK, we’ve both decided to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/it-s-my-very-unsophisticated-way-of-taking-the-power-back-i-ve-always/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) > [Fitness to me isn't about a crunch or a push up, it's about taking your power back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/fitness-to-me-isn-t-about-a-crunch-or-a-push-up-it-s-about-taking/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [We have never yet had a labor Government that knew what taking power really means; they always act like second-class citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/we-have-never-yet-had-a-labor-government-that-knew-what-taking-power/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) ## More by Steve Hilton > [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [We must not let the panicky Wall Street wheeler-dealers and the Trump-hating establishment state media talk us into a recession. We must keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/we-must-not-let-the-panicky-wall-street-wheeler-dealers-and-the-trump/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [After Trump, it will be a different Republican party... and for American workers, families, and communities, that is fantastic news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/after-trump-it-will-be-a-different-republican-party-and-for-american/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [There's an ideological belief on the left that you should not use nonpartisan tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/there-s-an-ideological-belief-on-the-left-that-you-should-not-use/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Straight out of college, I worked at the Conservative Party but that was just a couple of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/straight-out-of-college-i-worked-at-the-conservative-party-but-that/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Even when they are trying to deceive the voters, the Democrats are incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/even-when-they-are-trying-to-deceive-the-voters-the-democrats-are/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [You can do business with America or the authoritarian dictators of Beijing, who oppress their own people, put millions of Muslims in concentration camps,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/you-can-do-business-with-america-or-the-authoritarian-dictators-of/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [I don't really care much about what the top one per cent earn. The gap we ought to care about in wealth is between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/i-don-t-really-care-much-about-what-the-top-one-per-cent-earn-the-gap/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [The idea that Donald Trump committed an abuse of power by bringing politics into a foreign relationship is a joke. They all do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/the-idea-that-donald-trump-committed-an-abuse-of-power-by-bringing/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [The most important thing about a candidate is not their promises - those hardly ever get delivered anyway. It's about how they would respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/the-most-important-thing-about-a-candidate-is-not-their-promises/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Membership of the E.U. makes Britain literally ungovernable, in the sense that no administration elected by the people can govern the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/membership-of-the-e-u-makes-britain-literally-ungovernable-in-the/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Our democracies are increasingly captured by a ruling class that seeks to perpetuate its privileges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/our-democracies-are-increasingly-captured-by-a-ruling-class-that/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Establishment idiots say the Trump tax cuts only helped the rich. Don't they understand anything about economics?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/establishment-idiots-say-the-trump-tax-cuts-only-helped-the-rich-don/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [The Democrats are up to their necks in foreign meddling. Nancy Pelosi took money from Ukraine lobbyists. Chuck Schumer took money from Saudi Arabia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/the-democrats-are-up-to-their-necks-in-foreign-meddling-nancy-pelosi/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Leaving the E.U. enables the U.K. to be more engaged with the global economy, not just the European economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/leaving-the-e-u-enables-the-u-k-to-be-more-engaged-with-the-global/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) [Explore all 100 Steve Hilton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) ## More British government quotes > [The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-british-government-has-learned-that-saddam-hussein-recently/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [When I learned that aliens really do exist, I wasn't too surprised. But what did shock me when I started investigating extra-terrestrial reports a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/when-i-learned-that-aliens-really-do-exist-i-wasn-t-too-surprised-but/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [The British government needs to bring its system in Ireland under control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-british-government-needs-to-bring-its-system-in-ireland-under/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Unless the Arab states give Israel formal recognition, within secure, recognised and mutually agreed boundaries, as a permanent feature of the geography and politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-crosland/unless-the-arab-states-give-israel-formal-recognition-within-secure/) [Anthony Crosland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-crosland/) > [ The British government - any government - is potentially the worst \[architectural\] client in the world. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-heatherwick/the-british-government-any-government-is-potentially-the-worst/) [Thomas Heatherwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-heatherwick/) > [Interestingly, the British government announced a few weeks ago that they were going to introduce 500 educational targets for preschool children. And teachers complained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/interestingly-the-british-government-announced-a-few-weeks-ago-that/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-mercouri/we-say-to-the-british-government-you-have-kept-those-sculptures-for/) [Melina Mercouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-mercouri/) > [In all general questions which become the subjects of discussion, there are always some truths mixed with falsehoods. I confess, there is danger where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/in-all-general-questions-which-become-the-subjects-of-discussion/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [I'm not gonna give the British Government the joy of keeping taxing me. They don't tax art. And all my cars are just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kay/i-m-not-gonna-give-the-british-government-the-joy-of-keeping-taxing/) [Jay Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kay/) > [I will walk on no grave of Ulster's honoured dead to do a deal with the IRA or the British government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-paisley/i-will-walk-on-no-grave-of-ulster-s-honoured-dead-to-do-a-deal-with/) [Ian Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-paisley/) > [The military struggle may frankly be regarded for what it actually was, namely a war for independence, an armed attempt to imposethe views of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-military-struggle-may-frankly-be-regarded-for-what-it-actually/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [“The British government documents, as early as fifty years ago, an aim for education other than the one we have today: raising values, making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-british-government-documents-as-early-as-fifty-years-ago-an-aim/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The British Government very naturally would like to see in India the form of democratic constitutions it knows best and thinks best, under which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/the-british-government-very-naturally-would-like-to-see-in-india-the/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [It is not for us to give an assessment to what happened, but in our opinion the reputation of British science, the reputation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-illarionov/it-is-not-for-us-to-give-an-assessment-to-what-happened-but-in-our/) [Andrey Illarionov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-illarionov/) > [For over 30 years, the IRA showed that the British government could not rule Ireland on its own terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-adams/for-over-30-years-the-ira-showed-that-the-british-government-could/) [Gerry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-adams/) [Browse all 45 British government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election and then working in the British government, the thing that has really driven me is this idea of giving power to people and taking power out of the hands of those who try and grab it all for themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Hilton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-before-the-election-and-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "British government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-before-the-election-and-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/steve-hilton-5697_democracy_thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-befo_1761211.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thinking back to my time in the U.K., before the election and then working in the British government, the…” — Steve Hilton", "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": "Steve Hilton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thinking back to my time in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-before-the-election-and-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/thinking-back-to-my-time-in-the-u-k-before-the-election-and-then/#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 } } ] } ```