Urquhart quotes from House of Cards (trilogy)

Nothing lasts forever. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end someday.

Who could replace her? Plenty of contenders. Old warriors, young pretenders. Lord Billsborough, say — party chairman, too old and too familiar, tainted by a thousand shabby deals. Michael Samuels — too young and too clever. Patrick Woolton — bit of a lout, bit of a bully-boy. Yes, it could well be Woolton. Henry Collingridge — the people's favourite, a well-meaning fool, no background and no bottom. What, me? Oh, no no no. I'm the Chief Whip, merely a functionary. I keep the troops in line. I put a bit of stick about. I make them jump. And I shall, of course, give my absolute loyalty to whoever emerges as my leader.

[...] and if you must use whores, for God's sake go to a decent knocking-shop where they understand the meaning of discretion.

A party conference can be many things: a show of confidence, an agonizing reappraisal, or, as in this case, a series of auditions by pretenders to the throne, while the lost leader withers before our very eyes.

Not feeling guilty, I hope. If you have pangs of pity, crush them now. Grind them under your heel like old cigar butts. I've done the country a favour. He didn't have the brain or the heart or the stomach to rule a country like Great Britain. A nice enough man, but there was no bottom to him. His deepest need was that people should like him. An admirable trait, that, in a spaniel or a whore — not, I think, in a Prime Minister, hmm? And we've done him a favour, too, if he did but know it. He was in a trap and screaming from the moment he took office. We simply put the poor bastard out of his agony. After life's fitful fever, he sleeps well. So let's not indulge ourselves in any squeamishness — alright? Because this... is just the start.

So hard to know who to trust in these suspicious days. Does passion engender trust? Not necessarily. And yet we all would wish to feed on certainties. To hear the word "always", and believe it true. She trusts me absolutely, I believe. I trust she does. And I? I trust her absolutely... to be absolutely human.

[while poisoning O'Neill's cocaine] This is an act of mercy. Truly. You know the man now. You can see he has nowhere to go. He's begging to be set free. He's had enough. And when he's finally at rest, then we'll be free to remember the real Roger. The burning boy in the green jersey. With that legendary, fabulous sidestep and brave, terrified smile.

No, I have nothing to say. No. No. Don't you see? I had to do it. How could I have trusted her? You might very well think that. I could not possibly comment.

Remember that frightfully nice man who talked a lot about the classless society? He had to go, of course, in the end. Everything changes.

A new king. A new age, of hope and peace and spiritual growth, et cetera. And I'm still here for my sins.

[of the King] No manners in the ordinary sense, no small talk, no apparent sense of irony. It's all tremendously interesting, but he wants to do this every week. He'll have to realize the lonely hearts club is all very well, but I can't fritter my time away in idle chatter. I have to run the country for one thing. And at this rate our royal friend's going to make that more and more like the Chief Whip's job. A pat on the head and a biscuit here, a short, sharp shock there and a good boot up the backside where indicated.

Did you enjoy my little speech? I thought my "deep personal wound" was a rather good touch. I am in fact extremely angry with His Majesty and I intend to do him harm. I feel exhilarated. Prospect of a fight, of course, with the odds unfairly weighted in my favour. Next to a small war, there's nothing quite like a general election to stiffen the sinews and summon up the blood.

Well, what would you have? Britain must be governed, and you know who will do it best. If you will the end, you must will the means. These things happen all over the world. Believe me, it's all for the best. What's the matter? You do trust me, don't you? Of course you do.

What a rigmarole – a full state funeral now. The woman simply hung around too long. Better a quick exit than clinging to the wreckage of a lost career. Some people seem to lack all sense of timing.

[about Thatcher] I want to erase that woman from the public memory, Elizabeth. I want to wipe her off the board. I want to be remembered as the greatest Prime Minister since Winston Churchill.