Margaret Thatcher has just been named as the greatest Prime Minister of the last century. You won't be surprised that I agree.
James Whale invited me on to his Talk Radio show on Tuesday night, to discuss the great lady, and I broke my golden rule not to discuss politics on air. James could not have been more charming or professional, but when we moved on to Blair and Cameron, I realised that I won't be bothering to do this again, as I've lost both the interest and the desire to fight that I enjoyed so much when Lady T was PM.
It will be less than fair of me not to mention that Clement Attlee was named alongside her at No.1.
James Whale invited me on to his Talk Radio show on Tuesday night, to discuss the great lady, and I broke my golden rule not to discuss politics on air. James could not have been more charming or professional, but when we moved on to Blair and Cameron, I realised that I won't be bothering to do this again, as I've lost both the interest and the desire to fight that I enjoyed so much when Lady T was PM.
It will be less than fair of me not to mention that Clement Attlee was named alongside her at No.1.
11 Comments:
Facinating!
Jeffrey.
I wish you were back in politics. We need people who have drive like you . With your life experiences I could think of no one better to represent all levels of society.
have you considered it at all
johnny - thank you for your comment, but I have no interest in returning to politics. I'm having a wonderful time writing, doing my charity auctions and enjoying life.
What a change to read positive comments about Margaret Thatcher. It seems to have become the national pastime and 'norm' of TV pundits to denigrate and take cheap shots at Margaret Thatcher on every occasion possible - and that doesn't reflect what I hear from members of the public about her - after all, as a nation, we did vote her into office time, and time again!
And if I'm not mistaken, she still holds the record as the longest serving Prime Minister ever. It's touch and go whether Labour politicians will continue to support Tony Bliar in his attempt to surpass her record.
My elderly mother is a widow. She does not live in poverty as is the normal picture you often hear when elderly pensioners are mentioned. This is because together with my father, Margaret Thatcher empowered them both, to purchase their council house outright. Margaret Thatcher is often associated with making the rich richer - but name me another Prime Minister who put so much capital wealth into the hands of the working class at a price they could easily afford. Without Margaret Thatcher, she would have no house or savings to live off that only a fully paid for home allowed them to do.
I can't think of any other politician who did so much for ordinary working class people, yet is portrayed by the media in general as having done the opposite. Re-open the state funeral debate I say!
How exciting the 80's were when politicians actually had principles and stood for something!
We need a return of the Magi.
I can understand why. When you look what is left after Lady T.
What a void. You know you always felt safe when she was in power. Now you feel the state is taking over everthing and interfearing in everyones life.
How she is missed.
Dear Lord Archer,
There is a great groundswell of support for you in this country. We need people like you who can lead us to a new and brighter future. When you were near the seat of power this country was great. Look at us now!
Please get involved again for all our sakes.
Con Man
Danny-k... you are mistaken! PMs who served longer than Thatcher:
1. Walpole - 21 years
2. Lord North - 12 years
3. Pitt the Younger - 20 years
4. Lord Liverpool - 15 years
5. Gladstone - 13 years
6. Salisbury - 14 years
Still, she was the longest serving PM in the 20th century - a fair achievement.
Johnny Wilkes - Thanks for the info; I should have 'Googled' my facts first. You are of course correct, what I should have said, (as you advise), was: "She was the longest serving PM in the 20th century", and not 'ever'.
Anyway, on a subject I only touched upon, I thought state funerals were a reflection of the gratitude a nation wished to bestow upon an individual - and as a citizen of this nation I don't recall being asked for my opinion. In other words, it now appears under 'new labour', that state funerals are the decision and prerogative of the ruling Prime Minister alone - and no one else gets to say a word on the subject.
There were many breaks with protocol with Lady Diana's funeral, so why the big deal with planning for similar over Margaret Thatcher's send off? It wouldn't half go some way to restoring the disgraceful way she was removed from office. I feel sure if the decision was green-lighted and the approval transmitted to her, it would bring some satisfaction and closure to her peace of mind in these evening years of her life.
What a marvelous campaign for you to champion Jeffrey, "The campaign to assign a State Funeral to Margaret Thatcher upon her passing".
It would get my vote.
I am not a citizen of England so I hope my weighing in on this is not innapropriate. First, in the United States no other Prime Minister has been thought of with the reverence that Lady Thatcher was and still is. Forgive me for interfering but isnt it a little premature to be planning her funeral or is it customary to plan ones funeral in advance in England?
charles mccarthy - as far as Royalty and prime ministers are concerned, their funerals are planned years in advance because of their scale and the security issues involved - the Queen Mother's funeral had been rehearsed twenty years before she died.
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