Quoted in Brian Cathcart Were you still up for Portillo? (Penguin Books, 1997), pp. 63-4
• From a speech following his defeat at the 1997 General Election. Goldsmith was another candidate in the Putney constituency.
• From a speech following his defeat at the 1997 General Election. Goldsmith was another candidate in the Putney constituency.
“
And I'd like to say this to [Sir James Goldsmith] ... who has got nothing to be smug about, and I would like to say that 1,500 votes is a derisory total. We have shown tonight that the Referendum Party is dead in the water, and Sir James can get off back to Mexico knowing your attempt to buy the British political system has failed.
— David Mellor
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "And I'd like to say this to [Sir James Goldsmith] ... who has got nothing to be smug about, and I would like to say that 1,500 votes is a derisory total. We have shown tonight that the Referendum Party is dead in the water, and Sir James can get off back to Mexico knowing your attempt to buy the British political system has failed." in the context of "Quoted in Brian Cathcart Were you still up for Portillo? (Penguin Books, 1997), pp. 63-4
• From a speech following his defeat at the 1997 General Election. Goldsmith was another candidate in the Putney constituency." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "David Mellor" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About David Mellor
David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–1992) and Secretary of State for National Heritage (April–September 1992), before resigning in 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 1979 to 1997.
About David Mellor
David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–1992) and Secretary of State for National Heritage (April–September 1992), before resigning in 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 1979 to 1997.
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