Simply Smith

Whatever else you might say about the Lady, she's certainly consistent. To paraphrase her own words: she's never been for turning.

The one thing that she's not, however, is democratic. Out of her own mouth she has shown a regal tendency.

Who can forget her announcement from outside 10 Downing Street: we have become a grandmother.

As the first woman Prime Minister, her term of office was, to a greater or lesser extent, not a happy time for the country.

From 1979, when the Labour Party was unelectable, to 1990, her writ held sway: unemployment soared, record numbers of homes were repossessed, countless businesses went to the wall, education and the health service suffered extreme bouts of depression, and many cats became very fat.

From the beginning of that period the country suffered from an economic and social policy unparalleled in its simplicity and destruction. The only realistic chance to remove her came in 1982.

But, the Falklands War and General Galtieri ensured that the Iron Lady's grip on power became unassailable.

Perhaps a more appropriate nick-name would have been the Iron Maiden - one hug from that instrument of torture would certainly have brought tears to the nation's eyes.

The country needs a strong opposition party. Without it, good Government is impossible. There have to be checks and balances.

This Labour Government has a terrifying majority and can steamroller measures through Parliament at will. Just as the Conservative Government of the early 80s, with a weak Labour opposition, felt its position impregnable, the corridors of power could as easily implant in our present Prime Minister an overwhelming sense of his own importance.

These are interesting times and they are likely to become ever more interesting.

We need to have a Prime Minister whose feet are not of clay but planted firmly on solid ground.

There are many proposed Acts of Parliament that require carefully thought out debate.

It is the role of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition to consider these measures in depth and to question thoroughly the thinking behind them.

Now she's at it again. It seems that, like Charles 1, she feels it her God given right to interfere, at a high level, with the country's affairs. The Tory Party will be rent apart.

The Iron Handbag is about to clout the Leader of Opposition onto the defensive once more.

It has been reported that she thinks he's 'not up to it' and also that he thinks she's 'dotty'.

That it's about Europe is irrelevant. The point is that the Conservative Opposition has elected a leader, for better or for worse.

Therefore, until he is removed at another election it would perhaps be a good idea for this particular Grandmere to concentrate on growing old gracefully.

I would suggest most humbly to the Noble Lady, if she feels the Tory Party is being steered in the wrong direction, that she stand for the Leadership again.

Or is it the fact that she enjoys both carping from the wings and sniping from the battlements, while, at the same time, revelling in the limelight?

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.