Barbara Castle quotes

Barbara Castle: A Trailblazing Politician and Feminist Icon Barbara Castle, a prominent British politician, was a true force to be reckoned with. With her exceptional political career spanning decades, Castle left an indelible mark on history. Born in 1910, she dedicated herself to fighting for social justice and women's rights. As a member of the Labour Party, Castle served as a Member of Parliament for over 34 years. Her most notable achievement came during her tenure as the Minister of Transport, where she spearheaded the Road Traffic Act 1967. This groundbreaking legislation brought about significant improvements in road safety and vehicle standards. However, Castle's contributions extended far beyond her role in transportation. Throughout her career, she championed workers' rights, leading to the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1970, a pivotal moment in the fight for gender equality. Her unwavering commitment to feminism and her tireless efforts to address gender disparities undoubtedly make her a revered icon of the feminist movement. Castle's remarkable accomplishments have earned her numerous accolades, including the honor of becoming a life peer in 1990. Moreover, her unwavering spirit and determination continue to inspire generations of aspiring politicians and activists. In conclusion, Barbara Castle's legacy as a trailblazing politician and fierce gender equality advocate is etched in history. Her transformative work in transport and commitment to women's rights remain timeless and have left an enduring impact on society. Explore the remarkable life and accomplishments of this political giant and be inspired by her extraordinary journey.

Britain in the 1970s was undoubtedly an economic mess because of the oil price explosion.

- Barbara Castle

That was not what men and women fought for during the war.

- Barbara Castle

There was no welfare state, and people had to rely mainly on the Poor Law - that was all the state provided. It was very degrading, very humiliating. And there was a means test for receiving poor relief.

- Barbara Castle

In politics, guts is all.

- Barbara Castle

It is true that they paid much more attention to the trade unions because the trade unions were after all speaking for the rights and conditions of working men and women in their employment.

- Barbara Castle

It might have been offset for us if the revenue from our own oil and natural gas that was just developing had been available to the Labor Government, but the oil revenues were just coming in when Labor fell in '79.

- Barbara Castle

He described how, as a boy of 14, his dad had been down the mining pit, his uncle had been down the pit, his brother had been down the pit, and of course he would go down the pit.

- Barbara Castle

Those were the ideals that drove us to nationalization of the health service.

- Barbara Castle

If you've got unemployment, low pay, that was just too bad. But that was the system. That was the sort of economy and philosophy against which I was fighting in the 1930s.

- Barbara Castle

You see, another reason for nationalization was that private ownership meant fragmentation.

- Barbara Castle

And that will increasingly dawn on people. The demand for controlling the commanding heights will grow.

- Barbara Castle

I remember people who'd had a lot of hardship during the war. They'd thought we'd won.

- Barbara Castle

Another example of that was that even during the economic problems of the 1945 government, we managed to carry out other aspects of our policy and other ideals. Through the establishment of national parks, for instance.

- Barbara Castle

And that had a powerful appeal, particularly to those who had been denied the choice to stay on at school, to go to university, to be something else, other than going down the pit.

- Barbara Castle

And what always struck me about that war period was how even Churchill had to talk socialism to keep up people's morale.

- Barbara Castle

It was very much a cry for democratic control at that time. Above all, breaking the accomplished power of a few people to rule the lives of everybody else.

- Barbara Castle

Why not pool your resources? And so we broke into the concept of the sacredness of private property.

- Barbara Castle

Then, with lots of people doing that without ever looking over their shoulders to see how they were affecting anybody else, it couldn't work, and it didn't work, and it just came to a standstill.

- Barbara Castle

I remember a big meeting with the hosiery trade in Harold's ministerial room.

- Barbara Castle

What we set out to do was to ensure that this system of fair shares and the planning and controls continued after the war, and when we won, that's what we did.

- Barbara Castle