Urquhart quotes from House of Cards (trilogy)

You approve of my choice? Utterly incorruptible, absolutely impartial. He just can't stand Frenchmen, and who can blame him for that?

After the smiles. After the handshakes. After the arms around shoulders and the merry, hollow laughter. After the conditional promise and the purchased friendship. After the elusive, dangling reward, the nagging threat. After all that - the calculation of the odds, the sifting of the probabilities - and then, the fear. Fear in the smell of damp newsprint and the crackle of the radio. Fear that this might be the day that we wake to find the magic gone.

175 of my honourable colleagues firmly intend to vote for me, 123 are almost certainly against me. How dare they! They owe me everything. Half of them wouldn't even have jobs let alone seats in Parliament. As if I hadn't won three elections in a row and kept their noses in the gravy and these stuffed suits, these lumps of lobby fodder dare to raise themselves against me?

[to the statue of Margaret Thatcher] I will outlast you. Six more days. I'm not done yet.

Now, I've had a careful look at this memorandum of yours. You're proposing a very radical change. I'd like you to tell me why.

Well...

Just in general terms.

All right. We have been in power longer than any party since the war. It's a new kind of challenge. We need to show that we are not stagnating, that we are capable of self-renewal. Your own succession to the leadership, Prime Minister, is a very good example of the sort of thing I mean.

And now you want to see a great deal more of that sort of thing.

Well, I think we've had a pretty clear indication from the country that people are looking for some kind of change.

You think so.

The...the new names you put forward here, none of them could be described as being on the liberal wing of the party. Wouldn't you agree, Francis?

No one from the radical right, either. They're all good, sound men, Prime Minister.

Good sound men from the shires, mm-hmm. Guaranteed to do that they're told?

I'd rather say that they're all men who have been bred and educated in the tradition of public service, and have proved their reliability over long years.

Well, yes. That is another way of putting it. And I see you're offering your own services in high office.

You will remember, Prime Minister, that some months ago, we talked about the possibility that after the election, there might be a senior ministerial post.

Yes, yes, I do remember that. Things do change so very quickly in politics, don't they, Francis? I'm very grateful, indeed, for your suggestions, but I have to tell you now that we disagree with you entirely. Do you remember Macmillan? The Night of the Long Knives? He sacked a third of his cabinet and destroyed his government in the process. He was out within the year, Francis. Now, here is what I have in mind.

As you see, no cabinet changes at all. I'm sure you'll be seeing what it is, a sign of strength and sureness of purpose.

Well, I hope the parliamentary party will see it in that way.

I rather count on you to press it home to them, Francis, as Chief Whip. I do assume I have your full support.

Of course, Prime Minister. That goes without saying.

Good. I want you to know that I still regard you as a candidate for the highest office. But, you are also the strongest and most deeply respected Chief Whip this party has had — I think I may say — since the war. It's such a slender majority in the House. A good Chief Whip is more important to me than a good Home Secretary.

You are too kind, Prime Minister. Much too kind.

He's not absolutely certain where the danger lies, for one thing; and a sudden flurry of changes may look like panic. That's the official view.

Mattie

But you don't agree with it.

Of course I agree with it, Mattie. I have to agree with it. You, on the other hand, may feel that if you were... the captain of the Titanic, you wouldn't be saying, "Steady she goes."

Mattie

If I were... captain of the Titanic... which of my senior officers should I be worried about?

Beware of an old man in a hurry. Have you heard that phrase, Mattie?

[commenting on the party conference speakers] Michael Samuels - environment. "Intelligent", "sensitive", "caring" - all in the same sentence, I bet you.

...that doesn't mean a return to subsistence farming. What it does mean is sensitive exploitation of natural resources, intelligent self-interest to motivate long-term gains in a caring capitalist concept.

Told you.

Elizabeth

[of Mattie] You trust her?

Yes. Up to a point.

Elizabeth

If you wanted to be quite certain of her loyalty, perhaps one night when you're in town and I'm here in the country... Well, I should quite understand, Francis. I'll leave that up to you entirely.

Mattie

I think you underestimate yourself and that's a shame.

Underestimate myself? In what way?

Mattie

You underestimate your ability and your capacity for power, I think. And I think you underestimate your personal attractiveness.

Now that is absurd, Mattie. You can't expect me to fall for that. I'm old enough to be your father.

Mattie

Perhaps that's something to do with it.

Mattie

I don't know what to call you. There's nothing I can call you.

You can call me Francis.

That's just it, I can't. I don't think of you as Francis. It's so stupid.

You can hardly call me Chief Whip.

I want to call you Daddy.

Mattie, can I trust you?

Mattie

You know you can.

Oh, Mattie. It gives me such pain to say this, but, I don't believe you. I don't believe I can trust you.

Mattie

[falling to her death] Daddy...!

The King is the unknown quantity. I don't know what the man wants. You'd think he'd be happy to wave from the balcony and keep his opinions to himself after all the nonsense his family have got up to. God knows what he thinks he's doing.

Perhaps he's just a man of principle.

I'm afraid you may be right. But if he pursues the course he's embarked upon he'll destroy himself.

Would you really bring down the monarchy if you could? If you had to.

Bring down the monarchy? No! The idea is abhorrent to me. But to force the abdication of a particular King, that has been done before. And if the country's good required it of me, I wouldn't shrink from it.

Ah, I see you've been reading the paper. No hard feelings, I hope. These things need airing.

Well, of course they do. Quite right. Do sit down. Would I be right in thinking you're on some sort of morality crusade, Bruce?

In a sense, yes. Opening a debate about morality in public and private life — why not?

Is everyone's private life a legitimate subject for scrutiny?

Well, if it's all right for the Royals, why not for the rest of us?

Who could argue with that? How are you getting along with the Princess?

Very well, surprisingly enough.

Yes, we thought so too. Stamper has some photographs he would like to show you. The technical quality's rather poor in some of them.

Other way up, I think, Bruce. That's it. There's a video, too. I was very doubtful of the morality of infringing your privacy, Bruce, but after what you've just said...

How much for the prints and the negatives?

Bruce, please. A little loyalty from our friends is all we ask. Just a-a helping hand in these rather trying times.

Oh we-e-e-ell, of course! We weren't actually going to put the boot in! No, not in a serious way! These are tough times for all of us.

We gather the Princess' memoirs have been quite revealing.

Bloody dynamite — and not just about her, not just about the 'younger generation', if you follow me. Staggering stuff. They're all bloody at it! Always have been!

Print them.

I-I-I can't do that. I made a solemn promise, not-not a word while the Princess is still alive. Francis, it would destroy her — and not just her. She doesn't deserve that.

No, perhaps you're right. We'll just have to make do with these, now won't we?

All right, you bugger. Ding-dong, ding-dong... And as for you, Stamper—

What?

How much does Bullerby have? What could he publish?

Everything the princess was able to tell him. A lot of it's hearsay, of course. But I'd say there's enough to bring down the Monarchy for good.

Damn you man, is that what you want?

No, sir. It is not what I want. And I think – I'm sure, in fact – I could persuade him to suppress the more sensitive items.

The price being my silence and complicity, I suppose.

You might see it in those terms.

All right, do your worst.

I beg your pardon, sir?

I don't think the people will want any more muckraking. I think the whole nation is sick to death of negative campaigning and dirty tricks. They want to be given hope, they want something positive. I want to show them that there is an alternative, and I shall.

You have given your word, sir.

I have given my word not to make any political speeches, and I shan't. But I shall make it very clear that I oppose you bitterly and everything you stand for. You think you are an honourable man. I don't think that anymore. I think you and your party are intellectually and morally bankrupt. It's time for you to go, and you know it.

I shall like to formally request a dissolution of Parliament in preparation for a general election.

Granted, Mr Urquhart.

Why are you doing this? What could possibly be in it for you?

You really don't understand, do you? I do believe you're frightened of me, Mr. Urquhart.

You believe that if it gives you any comfort, sir.