The No, No, No, speech

 

Margaret Thatcher's "No, No, No" speech was a British political speech delivered in October 1990, delivered by Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool. In her speech, Thatcher famously refused to compromise on her position on European integration, stating: "No, no, no" to the possibility of a single currency, a central bank or a unified European foreign and defence policy.

The speech was a defiant rejection of the Maastricht Treaty, which had been negotiated by Thatcher's successor, John Major. Thatcher argued that the treaty would undermine British sovereignty and would lead to the creation of a "European superstate". She warned that the UK would have to leave the European Community if it was forced to sign up to the treaty in its current form.

The "No, No, No" speech was a defining moment in Thatcher's career. It cemented her reputation as a Eurosceptic and a staunch defender of British sovereignty. However, it also alienated her from many of her colleagues in the Conservative Party, who believed that she was being too intransigent in her opposition to the Maastricht Treaty. Thatcher's speech was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the UK from joining the European Single Market in 1992. However, it did help to shape the debate about Britain's relationship with Europe for years to come.

Here are some of the key quotes from Thatcher's "No, No, No" speech:

• "No, no, no to a single currency."
• "No, no, no to a central bank."
• "And no, no, no to a unified European foreign and defence policy."
• "We have our own parliament. We have our own currency. We have our own courts. We have our own laws. We are a sovereign nation."
• "We have our own way of life. And we are determined to preserve it."

These quotes capture the essence of Thatcher's message: she was determined to protect British sovereignty and to prevent the UK from being subsumed into a European superstate. The speech was a powerful and emotional moment in British political history, and it continues to resonate today.