- Resignation speech
A resignation speech is a speech made by a public figure upon resigning from office.
Resigning speeches can have considerable political effect for a number of reasons:
* The resignation of a senior politician is normally an important, sometimes historic, event. As such, resignation speeches often command unusually high public interest and media attention;
* The exiting politician can take this opportunity to enumerate his or her reasons for their resignation and perhaps to defend his or her reputation (see Richard M Nixon's 1974 speech below);
* Resigning public figures, particularly politicians, are freed from the constraints ofcabinet collective responsibility and constitutional protocol and can voice their opinions with greater independence, for these or other reasons (see the opening paragraph of King Edward VIII's 1936 abdication speech below);
* The circumstances of a resignation often cast light on the activities or policies of an incumbent government. A resigning minister can cause significant political damage to an administration or to an individual colleague (see Geoffrey Howe's 1990 speech below).Notable resignation speeches
*
1846 - UKPrime Minister SirRobert Peel resigns following the repeal of theCorn Laws . [http://www.victorianweb.org/history/peel7.html Extracts from this speech] .*
1936 - King Edward VIII abdicates the throne of the United Kingdom amidst controversy over his choice of partner. [http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/pdf/edwardviii.pdf Text of the speech] (in PDF).*
1974 - US PresidentRichard Nixon 's televised speech from theOval Office in which he announced his resignation after theWatergate scandal. [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/character/links/nixon_speech.html Text of the speech] .*
1990 - UK Deputy Prime MinisterGeoffrey Howe 's speech to theBritish House of Commons which in part led to the Conservative Party leadership election which removed Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher from office. [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199091/cmhansrd/1990-11-13/Debate-1.html Text of the speech] .*
1995 - British Prime MinisterJohn Major resigns as Leader of the Conservative Party in order to contest a leadership election with the aim of silencing his internal critics and reasserting his authority. In his speech he famously told his opponents within to 'put up or shut up'. The gambit paid off, and Major was re-elected. [http://www.johnmajor.co.uk/speeches1995.html Text of this speech] .*
1999 -President of Russia Boris Yeltsin announces his unexpected resignation on 31 December 1999, to the world's surprise. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/monitoring/584845.stm Text of this speech] .*
2003 - Former UKForeign Secretary Robin Cook 's speech to theBritish House of Commons resigning as Leader of the House, and attacking the Blair government's decision to go to war inIraq . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2859431.stm Text of this speech] .*
2003 - BritishSecretary of State for International Development Clare Short , resigning over Government policy onIraq . [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Clare+Short/201217D1-8E01-4848-AAAB-D922E14A91D2.htm Text of this speech] .*
2003 - Chairman of theBritish Broadcasting Corporation Gavyn Davies , resigning after the findings of theHutton Inquiry into the BBC's reporting of the death ofDr David Kelly . [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/01_january/28/davies_statement2.shtml Text of this statement] .
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