QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“I haven’t relaxed and nor has the Government. The worst case scenario is Britain crashing out without a deal. Short-term contingency plans in place. We do have to prepare for the worst case. Now I think [Brexit] is more likely than it’s been at any point... These are dangerous times in the European Union.” — Tanaiste Simon Coveney talking about the growing likelihood of a hard Brexit.
“I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold. The second female prime minister, but certainly not the last.” — Theresa May announcing she will step down as Tory leader on June 7, clearing the way for a new British PM... most likely Boris Johnson.
“We will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal... A new leader will have the opportunity to do things differently and have the momentum of a new administration.” — Boris Johnson, speaking last Friday after Theresa May’s announcement.
“All the preparation in the world will not avoid the consequences of no deal.” — British Chancellor Philip Hammond on the train wreck that may be approaching.
“The egos that I saw walking up and down those parliamentary corridors would not be tolerated in professional theatre for 30 seconds.” — Actress and former British MP Glenda Jackson.
“In any plausible scenario, there is nowhere else that humans can go to begin their step outwards from the planet, other than Mars. If you think of the other planets, there’s none of the others we can land on. There may or not be Martians and we need to find out.” — TV physicist Brian Cox.
“You can’t trick it? You can’t cheat it then?” — Queen Elizabeth of England on being shown a self-service checkout at a supermarket.
“I don’t know if I’m brave, it’s probably more stupidity than anything else.” — Documentary presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner Stacey Dooley.
“There’s nothing more powerful in the world than a good story.” — Tyrion Lannister lays out his universal theory of everything in the last ever episode of Game of Thrones.
“The writers have proven themselves to be woefully incompetent. This series deserves a final season that makes sense.” — The online petition signed (so far) by more than one million people, seeking to have the last season of Game of Thrones remade. Apparently they didn’t like the ending.
“It would appear that 55 years after Belfast City Council unlocked the swings on Sundays, the proposition is being put in court that there should be supervisors for swings when adults are using them and that it is a matter of civil liability if there are not.” — Senator Michael McDowell on TD Maria Bailey’s case.
“We did what we had to do to win. It wasn’t legal, but I wouldn’t change a thing — whether it’s losing a bunch of money, or going from hero to zero.” — Ex-cyclist Lance Armstrong in an NBC interview.