Quotes of the year

Prime Minister Theresa May, at the time commanding a majority in Parliament, in April.

‘During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a ‘bloody difficult woman’ – and I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker.’

Theresa ‘Bloody-difficult-to-take-seriously’ May.

‘He may be a mutton-headed old mugwump, but he is probably harmless.’

Head of Britain’s diplomatic service Boris Johnson in April, referring to future GQ cover star Jeremy Corbyn.

‘Boris Johnson is a caggy-handed, cheese-headed fopdoodle with a talent for slummocking about, who would do less damage to Britain’s reputation in the world if Theresa May sacked him as foreign secretary and replaced him with a souvenir paperweight.’

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson returns the compliment on Corbyn’s behalf.

‘I have to confess, when me and my friend, sort of, used to run through the fields of wheat, the farmers weren’t too pleased about that.’

Theresa May confesses her naughtiest moment. Apart from calling possibly the stupidest snap election in history.

‘That is bollocks.’

Emily Thornberry on live TV, assessing the then Defence Secretary Michael Fallon’s claim Labour want to negotiate Falkland Islands sovereignty with Argentina.

‘Every vote for him is a vote for a chaotic Brexit. Every vote for me is a vote to strengthen our hand in negotiating the best deal for Britain. Every vote for him is a vote for a weaker economy, every vote for me is a vote for a stronger economy with the benefits felt by everyone across the country. And every vote for him is a vote for a coalition of chaos.’

Mrs May takes irony to new levels.

‘Whatever the results are, the Conservative party will ensure that we fulfil our duty in ensuring that stability, so that we can all, as one country go forward together.’

Theresa May displaying her famous regard for ‘whatever the results are.’

‘The fact is this election is going to be judged as possibly the most catastrophic mistake, strategic call that a political leader has made’

Alastair Campbell as the election results come in.

‘For what conceivable reason?’

Michael Gove reacts on Twitter to news that The New European has won its sixth major award of the year from the publishing industry.

‘Because it’s an important new voice fighting against the damage your lies did to our country.’

Editor-at-large Alastair Campbell reacts to Michael Gove. One-nil to Campbell.

‘There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely.’

Donald Trump.

‘Despite the constant negative press covfefe.’

Donald Trump in May. Let’s all just be grateful he was just playing with Twitter, not the nuclear codes.

‘No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.’

Theresa May.

‘Go whistle.’

Boris Johnson to the EU in regard to the likelihood of them receiving £40billion as a divorce settlement. In the event we have proposed giving the EU £49billion.

‘I am not hearing any whistling, just a clock ticking.’

Michel Barnier checks his watch and notices that Britain is running out of time.

‘The problem that Theresa May has is that those who defended Brexit have never explained to the British people what the consequences are.’

French President Emmanuel Macron.

‘The media is – really, the word, I think one of the greatest of all terms I’ve come up with — is fake. I guess other people have used it perhaps over the years, but I’ve never noticed it.’

Donald Trump fakes his invention of the term fake news.

‘I thought it (Brexit) was the single stupidest thing any country has ever done but then we Trumped it.’

Billionaire media Mogul and former may of New York Michael Blomberg.

‘I have not used phrases like impact assessment except to say we don’t have one.’

David Davis comes clean on his department’s understanding of the consequences of Brexit.

‘David Davis is a bull who carries his own china shop around with him.’

Eloise Todd, CEO of the anti-Brexit campaign group Best for Britain

‘We all know breaking up is hard, but breaking up and building a new relationship is harder.’

Donald Tusk, European Council president with a reality check as we begin phase two of negotiations.

‘We all know unicorns don’t exist. The question now is whether everyone can agree to make do with horses with shells glued to their foreheads.’

An unnamed member of the UK Brexit negotiation team, as reported by the Daily Telegraph’s Peter Foster.

‘We have been very clear: Northern Ireland must leave the EU on the same terms as the rest of the UK and we will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the UK.’

DUP’s Arlene Foster throws a spanner in the works for Theresa May. The issue of the Irish border remains outstanding.

‘Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat?’ Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!’

Donald Trump displaying his optimistic side.

‘I don’t have to be very clever, I don’t have to know that much.’

David Davis, the man in charge of the most important negotiation in modern Britain’s history, lays out his credentials.

‘In the absence of agreed solutions, the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the internal market and the customs union.’

Sentence from Paragraph 49 of the Brexit deal agreement referring to the Irish border issue.