April 13, 2008
SHOULDA BIT HIM:
Tales from Margaret Thatcher's foreign travels (Charles Powell, 14/04/2008, Daily Telegraph)
The strong and unyielding stand against communism, in partnership with Ronald Reagan, which led to the West's triumph in the Cold War; victory in the Falklands; getting "our money" back from Europe; extricating Rhodesia from illegality to independence; standing by our American allies over Libya when others turned their backs; ensuring a resolute response to Saddam's invasion of Kuwait.Posted by Orrin Judd at April 13, 2008 11:04 PMAll these turned her into a heroic figure, the Iron Lady of legend. She did not win all her battles, with German reunification the prime example.
And she fought some unnecessary ones, mainly with her colleagues in Government. But she indisputably raised Britain's international profile: and whatever the pained expressions and snooty comments of old-style diplomats, she advanced Britain's interests. In the simplest terms, we were taken a lot more seriously in 1990 than in 1980.
She was never a diplomat and proud not to be one. She had no time for courtly phrases and carefully drafted compromises.
She was ready to go toe to toe with any world leader from Gorbachev to Deng Xiaoping. She had the huge advantage of being unembarrassable - a quality not always shared by her Private Secretary.
I recall a meeting with President Mitterand in Paris during which the President took her for a stroll in the Élysée garden.
I sat down in the sun for a blissful moment of peace with my French opposite number, only to be shaken from my reverie by the sight of Mitterand hurrying back, clutching a blood-stained handkerchief to himself. For a moment of panic I thought: She's gone too far this time, she's bitten him!
It turned out to have been an over-enthusiastic puppy which did the damage, but it was a nasty moment.
She was deeply suspicious of the Foreign Office, believing that its tribal culture led it to give too much weight to the foreigners' and too little to Britain's interests, as well as having its own agenda on European integration.