Polly Toynbee Quotes

A collection of quotes by Polly Toynbee.

Polly Toynbee is a prominent British journalist, writer, and social commentator. She was born on December 27, 1946, in London, England. Toynbee comes from a family of intellectuals; her father was the renowned historian Arnold Toynbee. She studied at Oxford University, where she graduated with a degree in history.

Toynbee began her career as a reporter, working for The Observer and The Guardian in the 1970s and 1980s. Over the years, she has become known for her politically left-leaning views and has been a staunch advocate for social justice, progressive policies, and equality. Her writing often covers a wide range of topics, including politics, economics, social issues, and public policy.

Throughout her career, Toynbee has received numerous awards and honors for her journalism, including the National Press Awards Columnist of the Year in 2007 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2017. She has also authored several books, including "Hard Work: Life in Low-pay Britain" and "Unjust Rewards: Exposing Greed and Inequality in Britain Today," which further explore her advocacy for social equality and critique of economic disparities.

As a respected and influential figure in British journalism, Polly Toynbee has played an active role in shaping public discourse and has been instrumental in raising awareness about important social issues.

People want the right to die at a time of their own choosing

People want the right to die at a time of their own choosing. Too many families have watched helplessly as a relative dies slowly, longing for death.

There is all the difference in the world between teaching ch

There is all the difference in the world between teaching children about religion and handing them over to be taught by the religious.

Could a government dare to set out with happiness as its goa

Could a government dare to set out with happiness as its goal? Now that there are accepted scientific proofs, it would be easy to audit the progress of national happiness annually, just as we monitor money and GDP.

Inequality makes everyone unhappy, the poor most of all, and

Inequality makes everyone unhappy, the poor most of all, and that is well within the remit of the state. More money gives less extra happiness the richer we get, yet we are addicted to earning and spending more every year.

It is now possible to quantify people's levels of happiness

It is now possible to quantify people's levels of happiness pretty accurately by asking them, by observation, and by measuring electrical activity in the brain, in degrees from terrible pain to sublime joy.

But instead of standing up for reason, our government is han

But instead of standing up for reason, our government is handing education over to the world of faith.

Is anyone serious about the politics of happiness? David Cam

Is anyone serious about the politics of happiness? David Cameron dipped a toe in the water, using the word lightly, but denying the hard policies it implies. Labour shies away from it, but should take up the challenge.

Happiness is a real, objective phenomenon, scientifically ve

Happiness is a real, objective phenomenon, scientifically verifiable. That means people and whole societies can now be measured over time and compared accurately with one another. Causes and cures for unhappiness can be quantified.

Most people come to fear not death itself, but the many terr

Most people come to fear not death itself, but the many terrible ways of dying.

How do you make any sense of history, art or literature with

How do you make any sense of history, art or literature without knowing the stories and iconography of your own culture and all the world's main religions?

But how odd that in this heathen nation of empty pews, where

But how odd that in this heathen nation of empty pews, where churches' bare, ruined choirs are converted into luxury loft living, a Labour government - yes, a Labour government - is deliberately creating a huge expansion of faith schools.