David Gauke Quotes

David Gauke

Profession : Politician

Birth : October 8, 1971

There are tradeoffs between independence and co-operation, between regulatory autonomy and market access. This means that compromises are necessary to deliver a pragmatic Brexit that protects jobs and living standards while respecting the referendum result.

David Gauke

Our judiciary has a reputation for intellectual rigour, careful consideration of the arguments, and a serious-minded determination to each decision based on what is right and not necessarily what is superficially popular. I am not sure that all politicians have the same reputation.

David Gauke

If Northern Ireland is in one customs regime and the Republic of Ireland is in another, why won't a customs border be necessary, just as happens with every other land border of this type?

David Gauke

Loose talk about no deal has given credibility to the simplistic slogans of the Brexit party and resulted in millions voting for them.

David Gauke

We've got an outstanding justice system. Our judiciary are respected around the world. It is a key part of what we are as a country. It's an area where there is a strong political consensus behind that and perhaps in an era of populism it's important that we preserve those qualities.

David Gauke

I would make the case that the vast majority of prisoners leave prison and go back into society. We share that society with them and what sort of people do we want them to be.

David Gauke

The best way of ensuring that we get what we need is by demonstrating we have a clear plan, we are thinking strategically and ensuring every pound of taxpayer's money is spent wisely and my focus is ensuring we do that.

David Gauke

My position was that if the country could unite around a soft Brexit that would be the least worst way through. But it is now very clear that the country is not going to unite around a soft Brexit. There is nobody really advocating a soft Brexit.

David Gauke

The country is polarised between those who would pursue a hard Brexit, which is where the prime minister is, and Remain.

David Gauke

I'm impressed by Jo Swinson. I think if I was living in a lot of constituencies I would lend my vote to the Liberal Democrats.

David Gauke

Traditional Conservative voters like me should lend their support to the Liberal Democrats but I think I am best placed to run as an independent.

David Gauke

I believe that the Conservative party is at its best when it's a pro-business, pragmatic party, so to appeal to the country, and the country loses out significantly if the centre right of politics becomes much more populist, nationalist, and more right of centre.

David Gauke

Middle-class commuters in Rickmansworth and Berkhamsted are wondering whether the Conservative party is the party that they have traditionally supported. And they certainly don't want to support a Farage-lite party.

David Gauke

If the Conservative party hasn't got room for Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond and 19 others, there is also a message there to millions of people who vote Conservative, that it's not a party for them. If you go down a divisive route, the scars will be very deep.

David Gauke

I don't like the idea of being chucked out of parliament, chucked out of the party, for basically doing the bleeding obvious: trying to stop an absolutely damaging policy, that a responsible political party should be opposing vigorously.

David Gauke

Boris Johnson was elected on a strategy that went down well with members, but was inevitably going to collide with reality and unravel. And it's happened more quickly than it might have done, for reasons for which he and his team are responsible.

David Gauke

A willingness by politicians to say what they think the public want to hear, and a willingness by large parts of the public to believe what they are told by populist politicians, has led to a deterioration in our public discourse.

David Gauke

Rather than recognising the challenges of a fast-changing society require sometimes complex responses, that we live in a world of trade-offs, that easy answers are usually false answers, we have seen the rise of the simplifiers.

David Gauke

We must face facts. I have made that my guiding principle in office.

David Gauke

Our research shows that nearly 60% of recent offenders who engaged with a community-based alcohol programme did not go on to reoffend in the two years following treatment. Offenders given a community sentence including mental health treatment have also shown to be significantly less likely to reoffend.

David Gauke