Quote by Harold MacMillan
A Foreign Secretaryand this applies also to a prospective Foreign Secretaryis always faced with this cruel dilemma. Nothing he can say can do very much good, and almost anything he may say may do a great deal of harm. Anything he says that is not obvious is dangerous; whatever is not trite is risky. He is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion.
Summary
This quote highlights the challenging predicament faced by a Foreign Secretary, or anyone aspiring to hold the position. The nature of the role makes it difficult to have a significant positive impact through words alone, while the potential for causing harm is great. Expressing anything other than the obvious can have dangerous repercussions, and straying from common knowledge is risky. As such, the Foreign Secretary must constantly navigate the delicate balance between resorting to clichés and risking indiscretion in their statements.
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