Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Michael Howard on Widdecombe & Memoirs

There's a mildly interesting interview with Michael Howard by Andrew Billen in The Times today. You can read the whole thing HERE. He talks about his relationship with Ann Widdecombe...

His nemesis was Ann Widdecombe, who, still furious at his sacking of her friend Derek Lewis as the director of prisons, made her “something of the night” remark. Did he realise it would be so damaging? “Oh, it was obviously very damaging. But what it probably did was to save me from the thankless task of becoming leader of the party in 1997.” Does he have any relationship with her now? “I had a conversation with Ann the other day. When the foreign prisoners’ crisis arose we were at some meeting and I said, ‘I don’t remember this being a problem in our time, do you?’ And she said, no, absolutely it wasn’t. So I have a perfectly good relationship with Ann.” He’d have a cup of tea with her? “I’d be happy to have a cup of tea with her. I haven’t done so, but I’d be perfectly happy to do that.” And Jeremy Paxman, who on Newsnight famously asked him the same question about Lewis 13 times and failed to get a reply (mainly because Howard honestly could not remember the truth)? “I’m perfectly OK when I meet him.” But furious at the time? “I don’t think I was furious. I realised that it wasn’t my finest hour.”

The other thing which leapt out at me was that Billen reckons Michael Howard won't be writing his memoirs because of his dislike of gossip. First of all, I'm not sure that last assertion is true, but even if it is, a memoir is so much more than a collection of gossipy anecdotes. Nigel Lawson probably wrote the most heavyweight autobiography in recent years, and you'd be hard pressed to find much gossip in it. I hold the rather old fashioned view that all frontline politicians should almost feel obliged to write their memoirs, more as a service to future historians than a tribute to their own egos. Michael Howard has had a facinating career and I think he's also got things to say, which might be easier to say now than they were at the time. I'm actually not sure Billen is correct in his analysis anyway. I remember having a conversation with Michael Howard over the counter at Politico's when we discussed whether he ought to write a book. I remember thinking at the time that he felt he wasn't ready to write his memoirs as his career wasn't finished. He was right.

5 comments:

Glass House said...

"mainly because Howard honestly could not remember the truth"

!!!
Speechless

Sir Compton Valence said...

That was interesting. I thought he would loathe her. Howard's finest hour and greatest service was holding things together after IDS - his second finest was handing over graciously to the present generation.

Anonymous said...

Icedink

I'm sure Howard does loathe Widdicombe, but you can't expect him to say so.
It's hard to like Widders. She's nice to her mum, but that's about it. She's very abrupt and defensive in interviews. She argues a good case, but gives the impression that she doesn't listen to opposing arguments.
Sadly, her net contribution to the Tory cause is in the negative. Not a life-enhancing person.

Anonymous said...

I must say when I said there was 'Something of the night' about Michael, I just meant that he always wore his pyjamas under his outer garments. Please don't ask me how I know.

skipper said...

Just because he exchanged the shortest of remarks with her doesn't mean they have a 'good' relationship; I suspect he still hates her more than just a bit, just as she hates him.
I agree major politicians have almost an obligation to write therir memoirs; my vested interest is that I'm an obsessive memoir reader- and have bought dozens from Politicos as it happens.