Charles Moore writes in the Sunday Telegraph that Lady Thatcher is in danger of becoming a national treasure. He recalls taking her to lunch at a London restaurant recently, and when she got up to leave, everyone in the restaurant broke out in a spontaneous round of applause. This got me thinking. Who else in British public life would provoke that reaction? As I type this, I can't think of anyone. Certainly not a politician. Can you do better?UPDATE: Andrew Roberts has also written about Lady T in the Telegraph. He shed some light on her current lifestyle, revealing she has a cat with the rather un-Thatcherite name of Pussikins!
At a lunch party last summer at my home, only a couple of hundred yards from where she lives, she was on what in anyone else would be described as jolly form. Introduced to Lord Dalmeny, whose ancestor, the Earl of Rosebery, had won the Derby whilst prime minister, she suggested that the three living ex-prime ministers - herself, John Major and Tony Blair - should each buy the leg of a horse and try to win it again. When I pointed out that that would mean Gordon Brown buying the fourth leg, she thought about it, before saying: "He doesn't look as if he'd enjoy that kind of thing very much, does he?"
She then kept a table of True Believers, including Michael Gove, Paul Johnson and
Simon Heffer, entranced with her memories of the Falklands War. We drank Chateau d'Issan (Margaux) 1982 to commemorate the 25th anniversary, and - against doctor's orders, but frankly impossible to stop - she stood up to give a 10-minute account of the crisis from start to glorious finish, which left us astounded at her post-stroke mental capacity. Nor was she overly jingoistic. "It was very sad that we had to do it," she concluded, "but we really had no choice." When Lady Getty told her that she had visited Colonel H Jones's grave on the Falklands, and laid some flowers there and at the war memorial, the emotion was evident in Lady Thatcher's voice as she thanked her...The Tory MP who criticised Gordon Brown for inviting Lady Thatcher to Downing Street last year, saying he was taking advantage of "a frail old lady", could not have been more wrong. Lady Thatcher can still spot a No 10 photo opportunity as well as anyone, but if New Labour wanted to acknowledge the victory of Thatcherism over socialism, she was not about to stop it. The shrewd political advice she receives from her devoted private secretary, Mark Worthington, has meant that she has not put a foot wrong politically since she was tragically ousted by "the November criminals" of
1990. Furthermore, it would have been rude to have refused the invitation, and Lady Thatcher is polite to a very remarkable degree. The only thing that will prevent her offering her own chair to visitors in her drawing room is if her vast marmalade cat, called Pussikins, snatches it in the meantime. (While Pussikins might not sound very Thatcherite, when it came from Battersea Cats' Home it was originally named Marvin.)Today the old spark is definitely there; when I took some Californian admirers to visit last month, one asked her about Hillary Clinton's comparison of herself to Lady Thatcher. "She's not in the least like me!" Margaret expostulated, "I know that because I'm not in the least like her."
39 comments:
I'm sorry to say this, but I think David Beckham would probably get a round of applause as well....a reflection on the celeb obsessed culture we live in.
Anybody in a military uniform, especially if they have come from Iraq or Afghanistan, or look old enough to have beaten Hitler.
I am still feeling sick from that nauseating and syncophantic applause and standing ovation on Blair's last PMQs. Cameron and the Tory front bench should be continually ashamed of actually joining in that charade. As a misjudgement it stands on par with Clegg's lamentable decision to abstain on the Lisbon Treaty
Possibly John Smeaton, the Glasgow Airport baggage handler and terrorist tackler.
All this 'everybody hated Thatcher' cr*p makes me laugh. Even in my home area(somewhere in deepest West Oxon)-during the mid 80's - she sure as heck was popular: even some of the 5th form had 'i love Maggie' stickers on various items of clothing during the '87 election. Yep, i'd definetely stand and clap the great Lady- i don't think anybody else would generate that amount of respect.
The Archbishop of Canterbury
;o)
You Iain if you stop going on about Thatcher. This is a silly post and provokes a silly comment.
Terry Waite, perhaps? Probably others.
In political life, no-one of whom I can think offhand.
Not sure about who I would clap, but I can think of several people who, if they came within egg throwing distance, I would be irritated that I didn't have an egg on me.
To anon 11.10,
Love him or hate him you have to admit that Blair was a skilled politician. Even if he had no scruples and was a complete sod.
The Queen
Prince Harry
Judi Dench
Maggie Smith
I remember attending Michael Foot's 90th birthday party at the Gay Hussar and as he was helped from the restaurant to the neighbouring building for the reception, lots of people in Greek Street, just strolling by, broke out into spontaneous applause.
I think they were applauding Foot the man though and not Foot the politician.
Anybody in military uniform, or Jonny Wilkinson. (though yes, he did have a poor game yesterday)
Barack Obama if he happened to be around.
Only politicians and celebrities crave this sort of adulation; the rest of the world would settle for polite smiles.
But seeking approval generally makes them unworthy (viz Blair).
Bruce Forsyth.
Maggie pulled this country back from the brink; sadly, the Tories don't have anyone of her calibre now.
In our local cafe's here in Harlow, I, and around 88% of the other diners, would clap Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg.
...A very slow hand clap - in the style once meted out to Blair by the Womens' Institute.
Not just enough deserts for this duplicitous pair's cynical and scandalous betrayal of the majority of us over the Lisbon Treaty and their breach of their respective manifesto pledges to give the people a referendum, but it will do for starters.
By the way, Brown and Clegg are wasting their breath in trying to create the illusion that the referendum campaign is over.
Here, in Harlow, we've only just begun.
Great Post..I `ll have to think...but thus far I cannot get past Margaret Thatcher, probably the Queen as well if it wasn`t impolite .
Bruce Forsyth ?...Seriously , sixty years of making life a little happier .Fine work.
Thatcher acceptin Brown's invitation to Downing St proved that Dave could not take her for granted. Since then he has actively gone out of his way to suck up to her. Good thing to.
I wonder how Mrs. T would take to being clapped anyway. there is a fabulous clip at Chartwell of Winston Churchill being introduced by the Mayor of ..somewhere as the "Greatest man In The World "
He nearly fell off the seat on which he appeared to be slumbering and quickly remonstrated that much as he was used to hearing things no man should hear until after his death, that really was a bit much. There was general laughter and the great man put everyone at their ease. Class. They aren’t` making any more like that
I fear if I met Lady Thatcher I would gush and embarrass myself so it probably best I don’t but the only person I rank perhaps a little above her is Winston Churchill . Pretty good company to keep …god and you look at …that miserable toad Brown…ugh
BUT For re-igniting the Conservative Party whilst staying true to its core principle In would applaud David Cameron with great enthusiasm. He does not get the praise he deserves
Hurray for David Cameron
Yes, it was very sad that Britain had to fight to retake the Falklands. Of course, had Mrs Thatcher taken the advice (given in secret) of Jim Callaghan, and made utterly clear to the Argentines that we intended to defend and hold the Falklands, then there would have been no need for us to fight, becuase they would not have invaded. Staggering incompetence, she caused the war, was responsible for the deaths of those who died in the war and should have resigned in disgrace. That she then went on to win an election a year later speaks volumes about the ability of the British establishment to whitewash (Franks begat Hutton) and of the press at the time to get behind "their" candidate. And Labour, now under new management, were an utter shambles, of course.
I suppose now that the oil fields surrounding the Falklands will bring in billions. The Labour Party will now support Maggies Falklands War?
Wasn't it young David Owen the Foreign Secretary that wanted to give the islands to the Argentine?
Will this oil become EURO OIL now we are servants of the EU?
Margaret Thatcher is the greatest living Englishwoman. The greatest Englishwoman since Queen Elizabeth 1.
Brown. Blair. Heath. Major.Macmillan.Wilson. Callaghan.Eden. Pygmies all. Only Winston can stand alongside her.
God, we need her now!
I suppose now that the oil fields surrounding the Falklands will bring in billions. The Labour Party will now support Maggies Falklands War?
Wasn't it young David Owen the Foreign Secretary that wanted to give the islands to the Argentine?
Will this oil become EURO OIL now we are servants of the EU?
Margaret Thatcher is the greatest living Englishwoman. The greatest Englishwoman since Queen Elizabeth 1.
Brown. Blair. Heath. Major.Macmillan.Wilson. Callaghan.Eden. Pygmies all. Only Winston can stand alongside her.
God, we need her now!
Agreed, psj.
Anon- 11:10 - Yes, the thought of it still turns my stomach. David Cameron is a terrible man who doesn't understand what it is to lead. Of course, he's never been in the services himself, or he could not have committed that other spine-chilling faux pas - sacking Patrick Mercer. I won't forgive him for that either.
Nick R Thomas - Agreed! He kicked and punched a terrorist who was literally in flames. A very sound fellow.
His Grace will have his little laugh, but I would applaud Dr Sentamu, Archbishop of York.
I certainly wouldn't applaud the Queen. She did bugger all for the British while Tony was busy with the wrecking ball to our civil liberties, our Constitution, our Bill of Right and the House of Lords. She could have dismissed his government but she was feart.
I might applaud a doughty blogger who maintains a consistently high standard of blogging while tolerating a wide range of dissenting opinion - our good host.
I only ever saw Bruce Forsythe once or twice and didn't think he was funny. Ken Dodd is funny, though. I met him once and he told me a joke. I would probably join in the applause if someone else started it.
Now, conversely, who would we spontaneously boo in a restaurant?
Obviously, now that Mao, Idi Amin and the Ceauçescus are dead and Fidel has removed himself from office, Tony Blair is the most toxic hate figure on the left. So, boos, hisses and throwing of cutlery. Likewise his greedy fat socialist wife.
Likewise, Harriet Harman, Margaret Hodge, Jack Straw, Jacqui Smith and all the rest of them. Boo them with pride.
James Naughtie. Orla Guerrin. Jon Snow.
strapworld - try to concentrate on what happened, and on what I wrote, and out your Thatcher-mania aside for a second or two. If it hadn't been for Thatcher's incompetence, there would have bene no war in the first place, and therefore no push by Labour politicians or anyone else to let the Argentines keep the islands. She should have been impeached for that. I accept that many other things that Mrs Thatcher did were necessary and beneficial, among them trade union reform and privatisation. But the Falklands is an appalling stain on her record, matched only by Blair taking us into Iraq.
Boo in a restaurant - Our pathetic Home Secretary who banned a certain Israeli MK from visiting Britain. (Cranmer has more on this)
She has "not put a foot wrong politically since she was tragically ousted by "the November criminals" of
1990."
?
I'm sure most members of John Major's cabinet would beg to differ.
And then there was her backing for Iain Duncan Smith (of unhappy memory). Not to mention her earlier support for William Hague, which tragically propelled him to the leadership a good five years too soon, thus probably robbing this country of a great prime minister.
Spalshitallover
If Jim Callaghan had been PM at the time of the Falklands we would have chickened out (but he might hae been quite bellicose in secret ...)
( I am a gorgeous young god loved by women and admired by men ....in secret...)
You on the other hand are drivelling pathetic fantasist inn public.
Bravo
She would not get that reaction in Scotland
A Lynch Mob would be the most likely outcome
She gets a deserved round of aplause in "Billy Elliott", the musical.
newmania - "in secret" referred to the advice he gave to mrs thatcher about the argentines and how to deter them. why don't you try reading some history? big jim would have sent an aircraft carrier or a nuclear submarine down there, while making quite clear to the argentines that if they tried anything, we'd resist. margaret thatcher, om the other hand, negotiated with the argentines on the quiet (nick ridley had the job) while running the navy presence down. short of daubing "come and get the falklands" in lipstick across her breasts and walking up and down main street, buenos aires, there wasn't much more she could have done to encourage an invasion. as i said, criminal incompetence, and any critique of margaret thatcher has to take that into account.
I would applued Verity if I knew what she looked like.
When you say restaurant, do you mean a canteen, in a special kind of hospital?
"Who else in British public life would provoke that reaction?"
I'd applaud Gordon Brown for leaving the restaurant, actually; he'd be doing everyone a favour.
Splashitallover said...
"big jim would have sent an aircraft carrier or a nuclear submarine down there"
As he had already done the last time the Argies tried it on.
"margaret thatcher, om the other hand, negotiated with the argentines on the quiet"
Yes, and the talks were about how best to cajole the pesky islanders to accept Argentine rule.
"while running the navy presence down"
Carrington warned her that Argentina would take a withdrawal of HMS Endurance as an invitation to invade.
"short of daubing "come and get the falklands" in lipstick across her breasts and walking up and down main street, buenos aires, there wasn't much more she could have done to encourage an invasion."
Nicely put.
if Simon Heffer is a 'true believer' - its a pity he does not point out more often that it was Mrs Thatcher who took us into the Single Market.
He does after all spend most of his time attacking the conservative party, why does he not attack this policy mistake morre often?
Stephen Hawking.
Christopher Biggins got a round of applause at the Ivy. Just after he came out of the jungle thing.
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