It’s hard to believe that it’s over 26 years since Margaret Thatcher was ousted from power by her own Tory Party and that her time as Prime Minister lasted only 11 years. It felt like an Eternity at the time. An Eternity in Hell. My beloved Labour- supporting spouse was away in the North of England at the time of Thatcher’s overthrow and when she got back to London I presented her with red roses, red wine, and a newsagent’s Evening Standard poster “OFFICIAL – THATCHER QUITS.” I had the poster framed and on a wall for many years. I came across it the other day in the attic.
I would comment on Mrs Thatcher’s behaviour occasionally, orally with expletives, but some of my written contributions were considered acceptable for publication in family newspapers. I realise some readers of this blog cannot remember Thatcher. I appreciate that many people in Ireland who suffered under the Iron Lady may think I pulled my punches. But, as Joe E.Brown protested in Some Like It Hot –“Well, nobody’s perfect.”
Two of examples are quoted below.
“THE NEW TORY PARTISANS” was published as a letter in THE IRISH POST on 16 JULY 1983.
“I may be mistaken, but it seems to me not only that the Tory Party is now behaving as if Britain’s security services were party property but that key elements of those services are not unwilling to play the role of Tory partisans.
As the Tory Party enjoys the support of little over 30% of the electorate (another 30% abstained during the election) this situation must worry not only pedantic constitutionalists,concerned with the retention and developments of those elements of democracy which have, against strong opposition, slowly found their way into Britain’s monarchical, aristocratic and anachronistic system of government.
Mrs Thatcher’s last television election broadcast was interspersed with a video action replay of the SAS storming the Iranian Embassy. The black clad and masked special force
could, without a change of costume, convincingly pose with the executioner’s axe on Tower Hill, the once customary despatch venue for courtiers and politicians who fell foul of the
party line.
Perhaps Mrs Thatcher, who likes to masquerade as a Tudor Monarch, was underlining her remark to Francis Pym about the exclusive club of ex-government Whips..It may be recalled that it was once the the function of Thomas More to steer legislation through Parliament. For a generation which can buy video movies of Mrs Thatcher’s South Atlantic
caper it must appear more generally menacing.
Then there was Scotland Yard’s false alarm about an ‘IRA Jackal’ coming to Britain to seek out prime candidates. This neatly synchronised with Tory election propaganda which
misrepresented Labour’s commitment not to renew the Prevention of Terrorism Act as “softness on terrorism”.
Private Eye, normally timorous on Irish-related matters, has suggested that Scotland Yard deliberately concocted the alarm as part of a vast public relations exercise. The very
visible security surrounding the candidates was supposed to demonstrate the government’s vigour – contrasting with Labour’s softness.
The magazine also remarked that the Act has dismally failed to prevent terrorism and has induced terror in hapless and innocent people.
It has, of course, long been the practice of Britain’s forces in Ireland to involve themselves as partisans during elections. The harassment of republican candidates and election workers has been one of their secondary roles – notably in 1918 when successive Sinn Fein directors of elections, including Garret Fitzgerald’s father, Desmond, were arrested.
Their primary role since then has been the thwarting of the manifesto then (and subsequently) endorsed by the Irish people.
Heretofore, such blatantly partisan roles were confined to Ireland. Now, however, like many other evil practices, they seem to be coming home to roost. It may not be long before
Labour candidates find that the gentlemen charged with their ‘security’ are not really there for their health.”
Donal Kennedy 16 July 1983.
P.S. Following the SAS storming of the Iraqi Embassy, one of the kidnappers, unarmed, was taken from amongst the hostages and extrajudicially “executed” in cold blood.
The London TIMES, in an Editorial briefly (in one short sentence) mentioned the incident. Bit neither it nor the other print or broadcast media touched on the incident again.
During the Falklands caper ugly rumours spread about the shooting of Argentine prisoners by British troops. A Senior Scotland Yard officer was despatched to the Falklands to
investigate. His report has never seen the light of day. Cynics might well suspect that the ugly rumours were true.
I may return to this theme as I seem to have written a lot about it during those years .
Go raibh maith agat Donal, I remember the day well, I was at work in Ballymoney and got a call, yes, they have the telephone in N. Antrim, from my manager just saying ‘she’s gone’, at which he hung up, too quick to spread the news amongst colleagues across the occupied part.
There again, on the 1979 dissolution, certain folk from a certain part of Ireland did blow up her mentor, doing her election prospects no harm.