Yes, Prime Minister (TV Series)

Power to the People (1988)

Paul Eddington: James Hacker

Photos 

Quotes 

• Sir Humphrey Appleby : To put it simply, Prime Minister, certain informal discussions took place, involving a full and frank exchange of views, out of which there arose a series of proposals which on examination proved to indicate certain promising lines of enquiry which when pursued led to the realization that the alternative courses of action might in fact, in certain circumstances, be susceptible of discreet modification, leading to a reappraisal of the original areas of difference and pointing the way to encouraging possibilities of compromise and cooperation which if bilaterally implemented with appropriate give and take on both sides might if the climate were right have a reasonable possibility at the end of the day of leading, rightly or wrongly, to a mutually satisfactory resolution.

  James Hacker : What the hell are you talking about?

  Sir Humphrey Appleby : We did a deal.

• James Hacker : You know that Agnes Moorhouse woman?

  Annie Hacker : Yes.

  James Hacker : I told Humphrey to have a word with her.

  Annie Hacker : That sounds like an interesting experiment.

  James Hacker : He says it went quite well, but he didn't want to talk about it very much and he had four whiskeys in ten minutes.

• James Hacker : [after Dorothy has just explained a brilliant scheme to reform the government of Britain]  And I shall be the great reformer. Hacker's Reform Bill. I shall introduce it myself. 'The power of this country does not lie in offices and institutions, it lies in the stout hearts and strong wills of the yeomen of Britain...

  Annie Hacker : Women have the vote too!

  James Hacker : The yeowomen of Britain... yeopersons... yeopeople... No, the people of this island race, on their broad and wise shoulders...

  Annie Hacker : And you can't have wise shoulders!

  James Hacker : On their broad shoulders, wise hearts, heads, on their heads lies our destiny. We must give back power to the people.' And I shall be the one to introduce this, um... What shall I call this new scheme?

  Dorothy Wainwright : Democracy?