The Sunday Telegraph today (3 December 2023) includes an article by the Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer. In it, he refers to Margaret Thatcher (and Tony Blair and Clement Attlee):
Every moment of meaningful change in modern British politics begins with the realisation that politics must act in service of the British people, rather than dictating to them. Margaret Thatcher sought to drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism. Tony Blair reimagined a stale, outdated Labour Party into one that could seize the optimism of the late 90s. A century ago, Clement Attlee wrote that Labour must be a party of duty and patriotism, not abstract theory. To build a “New Jerusalem” meant first casting off the mind-forged manacles. That lesson is as true today as it was then.The Telegraph headlined their story about this, 'Starmer piles praise on Thatcher as he woos Conservative voters'.
Sky News headlined its story, 'Sir Keir Starmer praises Margaret Thatcher in pitch to woo Tory voters - telling them: "Take a look at Labour again"'.
The BBC, 'Starmer credits Thatcher in pitch to Tory voters'.
Nothing is more important – more fundamental – to a democracy like ours. The rule of law is the foundation for everything.
Margaret Thatcher called it the “first duty of government” – and she was right. An expression of individual liberty – our rights and responsibilities, but also of justice, of fairness, of equality – one rule for all.
If ever there was evidence that Margaret Thatcher was wrong about there being no such thing as society, we just saw it in the pandemic.
LBC, 'Starmer praises Thatcher for 'changing UK' as he attempts to woo Tories back to voting Labour'.
It's not the first time Sir Keir has spoken about Lady Thatcher. He did so in a speech in March 2023:
It's not the first time Sir Keir has spoken about Lady Thatcher. He did so in a speech in March 2023:
Nothing is more important – more fundamental – to a democracy like ours. The rule of law is the foundation for everything.
Margaret Thatcher called it the “first duty of government” – and she was right. An expression of individual liberty – our rights and responsibilities, but also of justice, of fairness, of equality – one rule for all.
This referring to and quoting of Lady Thatcher by her successors as prime minister of all parties is another of the defining features of her life after 1990. She continued as a 'flag of convenience' up to her death in 2013 and has continued as one since her death. Not just in the United Kingdom, but across the globe.
This has contributed to - and helps to explain - her continued and continuing star quality, about which we wrote yesterday. And as if to prove the point we made in that post, the coverage of, or at least the headlines about, Sir Keir's article focusses on his comments about Lady Thatcher rather than about Tony Blair.
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