* The European Treaty required a common form (though not amount) of indirect taxation to raise revenues for the Community.
* A knighthood for a Conservative backbencher after twenty years’ service had been considered almost automatic, but Neave had not received one.
* The Thatchers continued in Lamberhurst at weekends, renting a flat in Scotney Castle.
* Peter Walker (1932–2010), educated Latymer Upper School; Conservative MP for Worcester, 1961–92; Secretary of State for the Environment, 1970–72; for Trade and Industry, 1972–4; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1979–83; Secretary of State for Energy, 1983–7; for Wales, 1987–90; created Lord Walker of Worcester, 1992.
† William Waldegrave (1946–), educated Eton, Corpus Christi College, Oxford and Harvard University; younger son of 12th Earl Waldegrave; Conservative MP for Bristol West, 1979–97; Secretary of State for Health, 1990–92; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1992–94; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1994–5; Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 1995–7; created Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, 1999.
‡ Peter Carrington (6th Baron Carrington) (1919–), educated Eton and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; First Lord of the Admiralty, 1959–63; Leader of House of Lords, 1963–4 and 1974–9; Secretary of State for Defence, 1970–74; for Energy, 1974; for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 1979–82; Secretary-General, NATO, 1984–8; created life peer, when hereditary peerages were partially abolished, 1999.
§ Ian Gilmour (1926–2007), 3rd baronet; educated Eton and Balliol College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Norfolk Central, 1962–74; for Chesham and Amersham, February 1974–92; owner (1954–67) and editor (1954–9) of the Spectator; Secretary of State for Defence, 1974; chairman, Conservative Research Department, 1974–5; Lord Privy Seal, 1979–81; created Lord Gilmour, 1992.
* Willie Whitelaw, whom Heath had just recalled from his post as Northern Ireland secretary to help sort out the miners’ dispute, was drinking very heavily at this time. The word ‘emotional’ is partly a code-word for drunk.
† Mrs Thatcher was among those who wanted an early election, and she told Heath this when he summoned his ministers in small groups to give him their views on the subject. Her voice would not have been persuasive to him.
‡ So great was the uncertainty about the election date, and the extent of rune-reading that preceded the choice, that Cabinet Office officials claimed to have seen a copy of the popular astrological work Old Moore’s Almanack at Heath’s place at the Cabinet table (interview with Ralph Baxter).
* The phrase, indicating an appeal to voters on non-ideological grounds of professional competence, originated with Stanley Baldwin.
* John Hunt (1919–2008), educated Downside and Magdalene College, Oxford; served RNVR, 1940–46; joined Home Civil Service, 1946; Cabinet Secretary, 1973–9; chairman, Prudential Corporation, 1985–90; created Lord Hunt of Tanworth, 1980.
† It is a reflection on the more gentlemanly mores of the time that throughout the campaign of February 1974 the Conservatives were in possession of information about the homosexual scandal involving Jeremy Thorpe which was later to bring him down. Lord Carrington, the party Chairman, ordered that it be locked away and not used in any form. It is hard to imagine such a policy being followed today. (Information from Lord Waldegrave.)
* Hugh Fraser (1918–84), younger son of Lord Lovat; educated Ampleforth and Balliol College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Stafford, previously Stafford and Stone, previously Stone, 1945–84; Secretary of State for Air, 1962–4; at this time, married to Lady Antonia Fraser (née Pakenham), writer, beauty, diarist, who later married the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter. Fraser unsuccessfully contested the leadership of the Conservative Party against Heath and Mrs Thatcher in the first ballot in 1975.
† Timothy Kitson (1931–), educated Charterhouse and Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester; Conservative MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, 1959–83; PPS to Edward Heath, 1970–74; knighted, 1974.
‡ Charles Morrison (1932–2005), younger son of Lord Margadale; educated Eton; Conservative MP for Devizes, 1964–1992. His then wife, Sara, was probably the only woman politically and personally close to Heath. She was vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, 1971–5.
* Robert Carr (1916– 2012), educated Westminster and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge; MP for Mitcham, 1950–74; for Sutton, Carshalton, February 1974–6; Secretary of State for Employment, 1970–72; Home Secretary, 1972–4; created Lord Carr of Hadley, 1976.
† Elspeth Howe, née Elspeth Morton Shand (1932–), educated Bath High School, Wycombe Abbey and LSE; deputy chairman, Equal Opportunities Commission, 1975–9; chairman, Broadcasting Standards Commission, 1997–9; created Baroness Howe of Idlicote, 2001.
* Gerard Vaughan (1923–2003), educated privately in East Africa; Conservative MP for Reading South, 1970–97; Minister of Health, 1979–82; knighted, 1984.
† George Gardiner (1935–2002), educated Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone and Balliol College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Reigate, February 1974–97; knighted, 1991; one of Mrs Thatcher’s first biographers. He was a prominent right-winger, never holding office. He eventually left the party because of disagreements with John Major’s policy on Europe in the 1990s.
‡ Humphrey Atkins (1922–96), educated Wellington; Conservative MP for Merton and Morden, 1955–70; for Spelthorne, 1970–87; Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1979–81; Lord Privy Seal, 1981–2; created Lord Colnbrook, 1987.
§ It was not known at the time that Heath had been suffering from a thyroid condition since 1973. This made him irritable, indecisive – and fat.
* Kenneth Baker (1934–), educated St Paul’s and Magdalen College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Acton, 1968–70; for St Marylebone, 1970–83; for Mole Valley, 1983–97; Secretary of State for the Environment, 1985–6; for Education and Science, 1986–9; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1989–90; Chairman, Conservative Party, 1989–90; Home Secretary, 1990–92; created Lord Baker of Dorking, 1997.
† Ivan Lawrence (1936–), educated Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford; Conservative MP for Burton, February 1974–97; chairman, Conservative Party legal committee, 1987–97; knighted, 1992.
‡ Patrick Mayhew (1929–), educated, Tonbridge and Balliol College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells, February 1974–83; for Tunbridge Wells, 1983–97. He was the Solicitor-General, 1983–7, whose letter lay at the heart of the Westland affair in 1985–6; Attorney-General, 1987–92; Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1992–7; knighted, 1983; created Lord Mayhew of Twysden, 1997.
§ Winston Churchill (1940–2010), educated Eton and Christ Church, Oxford; Conservative MP for Stretford, 1970–83; for Davyhulme, Manchester, 1983–97; Shadow Defence Secretary, 1976–8.
¶ Churchill had a much better claim than Heath to being called the ‘chief fornicator’.
* Sara Morrison recommended to Heath that he shore up his position by dispensing honours ‘out of a pepper pot’. He declined. (Interview with Sara Morrison.)
† There is some dispute about who first conceived the Centre for Policy Studies. In the view of Alfred Sherman, the original idea was Heath’s own. But Simon Webley, also present at the birth of the CPS, remembered that Joseph persuaded Heath by emphasizing that the Centre wanted to study Continental European examples.
‡ Adam Ridley (1942–), educated Eton and Balliol College, Oxford; deputy director, Conservative Research Department, 1974–9; special adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1979–84; knighted, 1985.
* Ralph Harris (1924–2006), educated Tottenham Grammar School and Queens’ College, Cambridge; founder president, Institute of Economic Affairs, 1990–2006 (general director, 1957–87; chairman, 1987–9); chairman, Bruges Group, 1989–91; created Lord Harris of High Cross, 1979.
† Arthur Seldon (1916–2005), educated Raine’s Foundation School and LSE; army service in Africa and Italy, 1942–5; fou
nder editorial director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, 1957–88; author of numerous books and pamphlets, including Capitalism (1990).
‡ After she became prime minister, Mrs Thatcher wrote to thank the Directors of the IEA for their efforts: ‘It was primarily your foundation work which enabled us to rebuild the philosophy upon which our Party succeeded in the past’ (Margaret Thatcher to Harris, Seldon and Wood, 18 May 1979, THCR 2/4/1/8).
§ Graham Hutton (1904–88), educated Christ’s Hospital, LSE and French and German universities; economist, author; research fellowship and teaching staff, LSE, 1929–33; assistant editor, Economist, 1933–8.
¶ Brian Griffiths (1941–), educated Dynevor Grammar School and LSE; Professor of Banking and International Finance, City University, 1977–85; head of Prime Minister’s Policy Unit, 1985–90; vice-chairman, Goldman Sachs (Europe), from 1991; created Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach, 1991.
‖ Douglas Hague (1926–), educated King Edward VI High School, Birmingham and Birmingham University; Professor of Managerial Economics, Manchester Business School, 1965–81; adviser to the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit, 1979–83.
* Christopher Patten (1944–), educated St Benedict’s School, Ealing and Balliol College, Oxford; director, Conservative Research Department, 1974–9; Conservative MP for Bath, 1979–92; Secretary of State for the Environment, 1989–90; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1990–92; Chairman, Conservative Party, 1990–92; Governor, Hong Kong, 1992–7; European Commissioner, 1999–2004; Chancellor of Oxford University, from 2003; chairman of the BBC Trust, from 2011; created Lord Patten of Barnes, 2005.
* Alan Walters (1926–2009), educated Alderman Newton’s School, Leicester, University College, Leicester and Nuffield College, Oxford; Professor of Economics, LSE, 1967–76; chief economic adviser to the Prime Minister, 1981–4 and (provoking the resignation of Nigel Lawson) 1989–90; knighted, 1983. He had resigned from Heath’s CPRS in October 1971 because of the government’s failure to pursue a tight monetary policy.
† Samuel Brittan (1933–), brother of Mrs Thatcher’s future Home Secretary, Leon; educated Kilburn Grammar School and Jesus College, Cambridge; columnist at the Financial Times, from 1966; knighted, 1993.
* Ever the practical politician as well as the true believer, Mrs Thatcher, though she agreed with every word of Joseph’s Preston speech, said a few months afterwards that it had been a straightforward minus for the party in the October election (private information).
† This call for reassessment was too much for Heath, who took it personally. ‘Your analysis of the Government’s record has left me heart-broken,’ he said to Joseph. See Philip Ziegler, Edward Heath: The Authorised Biography (Harper Press, 2010), p. 451.
* Nigel Lawson (1932–), educated Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford; Conservative MP for Blaby, February 1974–92; Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1979–81; Secretary of State for Energy, 1981–3; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1983–9; created Lord Lawson, 1992.
* Anthony Crosland was Labour Secretary of State for the Environment at this time.
† By her own account, Mrs Thatcher was en route from Lamberhurst to Tonbridge (a short journey) to make a party political broadcast about housing when she received a message on the ‘bleeper’ to telephone Heath (Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power, HarperCollins, 1990, p. 247). This seems unlikely, since bleepers did not exist at that time. But the call, in some form, undoubtedly took place.
* Roy Hattersley (1932–), educated Sheffield City Grammar School and University of Hull; Labour MP for Birmingham, Sparkbrook, 1964–97; Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, 1983–92; created Lord Hattersley, 1997.
* Nigel Fisher (1913–96), father of Labour minister Mark Fisher; educated Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge; MC, 1945; Conservative MP for Hitchin, 1950–55; for Surbiton, 1955–83. His book The Tory Leaders (1977) includes a good account of the 1974–5 leadership contest.
† Neave’s was not a partisan point of view. The sense of Britain on the verge of collapse was widespread. Bernard Donoughue spent August in France. On his return he wrote in his diary: ‘From abroad I could see England a little clearer. It looked in a terrible mess. Falling apart socially as well as economically. Seems very frail compared to France, which is becoming a giant again’ (Downing Street Diary, 2 vols, Jonathan Cape, 2005, 2008, vol. i: With Harold Wilson in No. 10, p. 174).
* Philip Goodhart (1925–), educated Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut and Trinity College, Cambridge; Conservative MP for Beckenham, 1959–97; Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office, and minister responsible for DOE (NI), 1979–81; Parlia-mentary Under-Secretary, MOD, 1981; knighted, 1981.
† Bernard ‘Jack’ Weatherill (1920–2007), educated Malvern; tailor; Conservative MP for Croydon North East, 1964–92; Deputy Government Chief Whip, 1973–74; Deputy Opposition Chief Whip, 1974–9; Speaker of the House of Commons, 1983–92; created Lord Weatherill, 1992.
* Peter Morrison (1944–95), youngest son of Lord Margadale; educated Eton and Keble College, Oxford; Conservative MP for Chester, February 1974–92; Minister of State, Department of Employment, 1983–5; of Energy, 1987–90; PPS to the Prime Minister, 1990; knighted, 1990. It was Peter Morrison who, as her PPS, was to preside over Mrs Thatcher’s unsuccessful campaign to retain the leadership in 1990.
† Margadale had stated this view to a large lunch at his Scottish house on the island of Islay as early as 1972: ‘Mrs Thatcher is going to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and so she should be.’ When he made the remark all those present considered it ‘very extraordinary’. (Unpublished interview with Peter Morrison (interviewer unknown), 1993.)
* It is possible that Mrs Thatcher was also ambitious enough to be dropping a hint, at a time when such things were considered a source of shame, that Heath was homosexual. Many at the time believed that he was. W. F. Deedes noted a private conversation with Mrs Thatcher in 1976: ‘M. seems convinced TH is a homosexual. (Women have more accurate instincts than we.) I said charitably: “an instinct sublimated in boats!” ’ (W. F. Deedes, note, 28 July 1976, unpublished).
† Fred Silvester (1933–), educated Sir George Monoux Grammar School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge; Conservative MP for Walthamstow West, 1967–70; for Manchester, Withington, February 1974–87; Opposition whip, 1974–6; PPS to Secretary of State for Employment, 1979–81.
* Actually, the day before that.
* Denis Healey (1917–), educated Bradford Grammar School and Balliol College, Oxford; Labour MP for Leeds South East, 1952–5; for Leeds East, 1955–92; Secretary of State for Defence, 1964–70; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1974–79; Shadow Foreign Secretary, 1980–87; Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, 1980–83; created Lord Healey, 1992.
* Geoffrey Finsberg (1926–96), educated City of London School; Conservative MP for Hampstead, 1970–83; for Hampstead and Highgate, 1983–92; Parliamentary Under-Secretary, DOE, 1979–81; DHSS, 1981–3; created Lord Finsberg, 1992.
† Fergus Montgomery (1927–2013), educated Jarrow Grammar School and Bede College, Durham; Conservative MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne East, 1959–64; for Brierley Hill, 1967–February 74; for Altrincham and Sale, October 1974–97; PPS to the Leader of the Opposition, 1975–6; knighted, 1985.
* David Mitchell (1928–), educated Aldenham; Conservative MP for Basingstoke 1964–83; for Hampshire North West, 1983–97; Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Industry, 1979–81; Northern Ireland Office, 1981–3; Minister of State, Department of Transport, 1986–8; knighted, 1988.
† According to Fred Silvester, who had just been appointed a junior whip, Mrs Thatcher told him on the evening of 17 November that she had just informed the Chief Whip of her intention to stand (Correspondence with Fred Silvester).
‡ Mrs Thatcher dedicated the first volume of her memoirs, The Path to Power, to the memory of Keith Joseph.
§ Gordon Reece (1929–2001), educated Ratcliffe College and Downing College, Cambridge; newsp
aper journalist and, from 1960, independent television producer and director; joined EMI, 1970; worked for Mrs Thatcher on secondment, 1975; director of publicity, Conservative Central Office, 1978–80; returned to CCO for general election of 1983; director of public relations, Occidental Petroleum, 1980–84; knighted, 1986.
* The Birmingham bombings prompted the Shadow Cabinet to discuss the return of the death penalty. They rejected the idea, but the revival of the issue in relation to terrorism gave Mrs Thatcher the chance to reiterate her long-standing support for the rope which probably stood her in good stead in her campaign.
* John Selwyn Gummer (1939–), educated King’s School, Rochester and Selwyn College, Cambridge; Conservative MP for Lewisham West, 1970–74; for Eye, 1979–83; for Suffolk Coastal, 1983–2010; Chairman, Conservative Party, 1983–5; Minister of Agriculture, 1989–93; created Lord Deben, 2010.
* Mrs Thatcher often served tinned peaches, to the dismay of her staff. Playing on one of her favourite later phrases about peace, Alison Ward and Caroline Ryder used to joke about ‘peach, with freedom and justice’ (interview with Lady Wakeham and Lady Ryder of Wensum).
Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography Page 118
