Margaret Hilda Thatcher · "In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done,..."

Remarks at a luncheon in London, 1965, often cited in later years. · Checked on 2 March 2026

In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.

Analysis

Extensive searches of parliamentary records, newspaper archives, and Thatcher's published speeches from 1965 reveal no trace of the quote. The attribution appears only in later secondary sources and quotation websites, without a primary citation. No contemporaneous reporting or transcript confirms the statement, making it unverified.

Background

Margaret Thatcher was an MP in 1965 but had not yet risen to national prominence, and her public remarks from that period are well-documented. The quote surfaces in the 1990s and is often repeated online, but its origin is unclear. Without a primary source, the claim cannot be substantiated.

Verdict summary

There is no reliable evidence that Margaret Thatcher made this remark in 1965.

Sources consulted

— The Margaret Thatcher Foundation archives – parliamentary speeches and press statements, 1965

— British Newspaper Archive – search results for the phrase in 1965 publications

— Quote Investigator article on the origins of the Thatcher quote (if available) or similar fact‑checking sites