“I have to inform the House that the present situation is so critical that the Government are compelled to seek special powers from the House by a Bill to be passed through all its stages in both Houses of Parliament to-day. The situation is grave. … The Government are convinced that now is the time when we must mobilise to the full the whole resources of this country. We must throw all our weight into the struggle. Every private interest must give way to the urgent needs of the community. We cannot know what the next few weeks or even days may bring forth, but whatever may come we shall meet it as the British people in the past have met dangers and overcome them. But it is necessary that the Government should be given complete control over persons and property, not just some persons of some particular class of the community, but of all persons, rich and poor, employer and workman, man or woman, and all property.”

Speech https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1940/may/22/business-of-the-house-emergency#S5CV0361P0_19400522_HOC_158 in the House of Commons (22 May 1940) introducing the Emergency Powers Act 1940.
War Cabinet

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I have to inform the House that the present situation is so critical that the Government are compelled to seek special …" by Clement Attlee?
Clement Attlee photo
Clement Attlee 95
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1883–1967

Related quotes

Stafford Cripps photo
Vitruvius photo

“If our designs for private houses are to be correct, we must at the outset take note of the countries and climates in which they are built.”

Source: De architectura (The Ten Books On Architecture) (~ 15BC), Book VI, Chapter I, Sec. 1

Hassan Rouhani photo

“All should know that the next government will not budge from defending our inalienable rights… We have passed that period. We are now in a different situation.”

Hassan Rouhani (1948) 7th President of Islamic Republic of Iran

"Iran President-Elect Wants to Ease Strains With U.S., but Sees No Direct Talks" http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/world/middleeast/irans-president-elect-says-he-wants-better-us-ties.html The New York Times, (June 17, 2013)

Loke Siew Fook photo

“As everyone knows, we (Malaysia) are in a very tight financial situation. Our yearly development budget is very limited. Every airport (in Malaysia) needs expansion. It will definitely cost the government a lot of money to upgrade or development airports. However, infrastructure projects must go on. We will look into ways to work on this plan. We will answer it when the government decides its ways forward.”

Loke Siew Fook (1976) Malaysian politician

Loke Siew Fook (2018) cited in " Government to decide financing model for airports upgrade by year end https://www.nst.com.my/business/2018/09/413597/government-decide-financing-model-airports-upgrade-year-end" on The Straits Times, 21 September 2018

Laisenia Qarase photo
Michael Foot photo

“It is all the more necessary that we should prevent an extension of the powers of the European Assembly, however it may be elected. I have been opposed to the extension of those powers, and I remain so. … We must preserve every precious part of the power that we retain in the House.”

Michael Foot (1913–2010) British politician

Speech https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1986/jun/26/extended-meaning-of-the-treaties-and-the#S6CV0100P0_19860626_HOC_324 in the House of Commons (26 June 1986) against the Single European Act
1980s

Thomas Jefferson photo
Buckminster Fuller photo
Enoch Powell photo

Related topics