Some Quotes from "Yes Minister"

"'The matter is under consideration' means we have lost the file. 'The matter is under active consideration' means we are trying to find the file."

"Foreign Office Honours: CMG - 'Call Me God'. KCMG - 'Kindly Call Me God'. GCMG - 'God Calls Me God'."

"It is only totalitarian governments that suppress facts. In this country we simply take a democratic decision not to publish them."

"The first rule of politics: never believe anything until it's been officially denied."

"Things don't happen just because Prime Ministers are keen on them. Neville Chamberlain was keen on peace."

"Politician's logic: We must do something. This is something. Therefore we must do it."

"It was a good idea to partition countries like India and Cyprus and Palestine and Ireland as a part of their independence. It keeps them busy fighting each other so we don't have to have a policy about them."

"The Foreign Office is a hotbed of cold feet."

"Government is not a team. It is a loose confederation of warring tribes."