New files show Kissinger, Gorbachev upset by Thatcher's fall

Associated Press ^ | Dec 30, 2016 9:08 AM EST

[Olog-hai]

Newly released British government files show that leaders and top diplomats were taken by surprise and deeply upset by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s fall from power in November 1990.

One of the first responses to Thatcher’s removal as Conservative Party leader and prime minister came from former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who said in a note to Thatcher it was “worse than a death in the family.” […]

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev wrote an affectionate note that for the first time referred to the iron-willed Thatcher as “Margaret.” …

[Founding Father]

Well it certainly started the latest long slide for England.

[xp38]

Thatcher will be remembered. The greats always are. Her replacement John Major is already forgotten.

[jalisco555]

She made the mistake of running for a third term. No one in an executive position should serve more than two terms. I can recite a long list of successful two termers who failed in their third term- Stephen Harper, Mario Cuomo, Ed Koch, Tony Blair, Thatcher, the list is long. If you can’t get it done in two terms you won’t get it done in the third. You’ll just have restless, ambitious people who want you out and a populace that is tired of you.

[Olog-hai]

I don’t think the populace was tired of Thatcher.

The biggest cause behind her ouster was the European Union (then called the European Community), which she dared to criticize, and correctly.

[Olog-hai]

That is, her criticism of the EU/EC was correct.

[henkster]

Few people remember Gene Bartow, Mike Davis, or Phil Bengston. You never want to follow the legend.

Jimmy Johnson is a notable exception.

[jalisco555]

I think she was done in by ambitious people in her own party who were tired of waiting for their turn. The same thing happened to Tony Blair. One reason why it should be two terms than out. You need to get out of the way, even if the people behind you aren’t of your stature.

[Olog-hai]

One thing about John Major is that he was very pro-EU. Not only was he responsible for swinging the Tories further left, but he is exemplary of foreign interference in a sovereigh country’s elections, having the help of the EC behind him back then, what with his being the UK’s chief negotiator of the Treaty of Maastricht that resulted in the EC changing into the EU.

Parliamentary systems aren’t the same as the US system. And even notwithstanding that, it took the 22^nd Amendment to institute term limits for the executive; in parliamentary systems, the prime minister is still part of the legislature, so there is no on-paper separation of powers in that respect, and that of course leads to the issue of term limits for representatives in the nation’s government.

[usafa92]

Add Ray Handley to that list as well.

[jalisco555]

If Thatcher had stepped aside as PM after her second term she might have been able to guide her party in it’s choice of successor and remained an influential voice in Parliament, ensuring continuity of her policies and avoiding Major’s mistakes. Instead she was knifed by people who wanted her out of the way.

[JimRed]

She was respected even by her enemies, except for her homegrown detractors.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Thatcher = Reagan

John Major = George H.W. Bush