Fifty years ago today Margaret Thatcher became Tory leader. A documentary on how she did it, as recalled by those who were there, has been made by Nell Butler, whose father Robin was Thatcher’s cabinet secretary. It will be shown at an event this month in aid of Women2Win, which seeks to have more female Conservative MPs.
Jonathan Aitken, then a young MP, was told by one of Thatcher’s advocates that she was “the only one with balls”, while Michael Forsyth had been delighted as chairman of Conservative Students, mainly because he’d put a bet on Thatcher at “very considerable odds” long before anyone thought she had a chance. An enterprising use of a grant.
Her party is now trying to cash in on the anniversary by flogging Maggie mugs on its website at £25 a pop. One adapts her first election campaign slogan about voting for a better life by saying “Don’t just hope for a cup of tea. Make one”, while another declares “The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s coffee”.
Sting in the tale
Police stopped Ed Sheeran from busking in Bangalore on Sunday, despite the singer having a permit. He is not the first megastar to take his music to the masses. Some years ago, Sting busked at a London Tube station and made £40. One woman thought she recognised him under his hat but was told by a man not to be so stupid. “It’s not Sting,” he scoffed. “He’s a multimillionaire.”
Queens in Primark
As EastEnders celebrates its 40th anniversary, one of its former lead writers has complained about snobbery, calling soap opera an art form. “EastEnders is Greek tragedy — but the Furies have acrylic nails,” Sarah Phelps, who went on to write several BBC Agatha Christie adaptations, told Radio Times. “It’s Eleanor of Aquitaine and Margaret of Anjou, wading thigh-high through the blood of their enemies but wearing Primark.”
Some of its stars, though, were not allowed to have such high ideas. Gillian Taylforth, who was in the first episode, told her parents that its creator had said she would become a household name. “So is Domestos,” her father replied.
The public problems of certain senior royals has boosted Mike Tindall’s position in The Firm. Speaking at a Twickenham lunch before the England rugby match, Princess Anne’s son-in-law asked guests not to film him in case he said anything he might regret. “There’s a family WhatsApp group that a few people have fallen off,” he said. “I’m climbing the ladder, so don’t f*** it up for me.”
It’s a cracker
We reported that Robbie Williams bought Eric Morecambe’s pipe and glasses at auction. Some of his correspondence was also sold, including a Christmas greeting from Ronnie Barker that went for £2,300, six times its estimate.
Morecambe’s fellow comedian began by thanking him for a recent letter. “Joy and I found it very warming,” Barker said. “We lit it and sat round the ashtray as it burnt, Joy cracking nuts and me fooling with my jokes. Or was it the other way round?”
