10 April 2013This week, unless you live on Mars, you will know that Baroness Thatcher, the greatest peacetime Prime Minister we have ever had, died of a stroke.
I had the pleasure of meeting the great lady many times in the late 70's and early 80's. Once I was stunned when she walked up to me and said 'hello Barry, nice to meet you again, how are you?' After spluttering a response I noticed one of her aides, who I knew well, grinning and realised that he had whispered my name in her ear. Later I was in the audience clapping wildly when she made one of the greatest political speeches of our age - 'the lady is not for turning'.
Mrs Thatcher was that rare commodity, a conviction Prime Minister. She would have scoffed at having policy determined by focus groups and polls. She was a leader and leaders, true leaders, decide what is the right thing to do and lead you there by the power of their own conviction and persuasive skills. That is not to say that Mrs T was anything but pragmatic. She knew that it was often necessary to compromise but she also knew when it was necessary to stick to your guns and push on doing what was right. Up until her latter years, of course and was when that ability faded her days became numbered.
Like us all she was a human being and as such made mistakes, she did get some things wrong. That is true of all great people and you only avoid mistakes by doing nothing. Like Churchill her greatness, her humanity and her achievements are underlined and emphasised by the mistakes and not diminished by them.
What has been interesting this week has been the reaction of her political opponents. To his credit Ed Miliband, though a little late, was dignified and respectful in his statement. That cannot be said for many others though.
Galloway and many of the chattering classes have demonstrated their capacity for hatred, spite and bile. One rather idiotic woman on Facebook likened Mrs T to Hitler and Stalin making a total fool of herself. Then we have the morons parting in Brixton and Glasgow among other places. People often too young to know anything about what this lady did for this country, probably not caring and most certainly with no idea of the mess we were in when she came to power.
But should we be surprised or shocked at their reaction?
No, not at all. Indeed I would have been surprised and disappointed if these small minded idiots did not behave in such a disgraceful way. Their reaction is merely the measure of the greatness of Mrs T. Given the state of this country in 1979, the terrible problems we had and the essential changes that were needed it, would have been impossible to carry through what had to be done without upsetting a lot of people. Their hatred is sparked by Mrs Thatchers success and achievements. If she had failed they would not have reacted the way they have.
Thanks to her the Trade Union bullies and thugs were tamed.
Thanks to her millions of ordinary people were able to buy their homes.
Thanks to her millions or ordinary people were able to buy shares and become part of the capital owning democracy.
Thanks to her inefficient loss making and subsidised nationalised monopolies were opened up to the realities of competition.
Thanks to her a dictator was defeated.
Thanks to her Britain's economic decline of the post war period was reversed.
Thanks to her the old destructive corporate socialism was beaten.
Thanks to her and Ronald Reagan, the Cold War was won.
Once again we need someone with her clarity of vision and strength, again to revitalise the British economy, this time damaged by 13 years the new style of 'beaurocratic socialism'.
R.I.P. Baroness Thatcher - unlike your detractors you will never be forgotten, remembered for saving this country.
