Posted on 04/29/2005 11:58:22 AM PDT by wagglebee
Conservative challenger Michael Howard is trailing Prime Minister Tony Blair in the British polls, and Margaret Thatcher has had enough.
Facing the possibility of her cherished Tory Party losing to Blair again, and upset at the possibility that Labour will be leading England's government again, Thatcher skipped town for a little holiday - just days before the election. She is not campaigning for Howard, and British papers quote a close friend of the baroness as saying, "She wants to see a Conservative government again. She is frustrated that is not going to happen, despite the Labour Government's serious shortcomings and all Tony Blair’s lies."
The Iron Lady is in Venice, Italy, for a few days, but reportedly will return before the vote on May 5.
The Times of London quotes Thatcher's friend as adding, "She is frustrated that we [the Tories] are not winning."
A succession of slight heart episodes has forced the former prime minister to curtail her regular public speaking engagements, and although she has attended a few fund-raisers for the Tory Party in general, her friend is quoted as saying that Lady Thatcher will not comment on Tory leader Michael Howard's strategy, and had decided not to take part in this campaign because of her frailty.
"She is 80 this year, she knows that she has had her day and that it is for other people to fight the fight," the friend said.
Thatcher has been active in politics for 70 years, first participating by stuffing envelopes for her father in 1935, the Times reported.
That is a polite way of saying her party has been taken over by imbeciles who have no idea what they are doing.
Who says her trip wasn't planned months before hand?
I love Thatcher and wish we had an ally like her again. Blair has been good to Bush in Iraq, and I'll always respect him for maintaining the close tie that our two nations have had historically. But a good conservative who could bring the UK out of its socialist slide would be nice to see.
Her comments about the Tories weren't.
well this is newsmax, so it isn't meant for serious consumption....
We had great leaders in the 80's and we may never see the likes of Reagan and Thatcher again.
If she even made them...unattributed quotes from newsmax aren't high on my list.
The liberals in this country should take a lesson from her.
Didn't say they weren't, did I? However, to associate her leaving on vacation as a result of it is pure speculation, is it not?
"She is 80 this year, she knows that she has had her day and that it is for other people to fight the fight," the friend said.
Shoot she is just about right for the SCOTUS or the Senate seat from W. Va.
I agree, her vacation was probably planned; however, I think if she had real confidence in Howard she probably would have changed her plans.
The Conservatives need to give Howard the boot. Until they get one of the younger Torie members as leader they will be sunk. This is the same with most of Europe (including Canada). To most of these dinosaurs they believe that being a conservative means being less socialist than the liberal parties. There are some great free spirits in the Torrie ranks, but they are stymied by a stodgy leadership.
That's a very good point.
I know exactly how she feels.
I've felt that way for over 40 years.
Face it, the Tories will gain seats, and make it close, but Labour will hold it's majority. The UK isn't quite ready to go back to the stern father over the doddling mother just yet.
Thanks!
A lot like the GOP, except they are still winning, at least for now.
"Until they get one of the younger Torie members as leader they will be sunk."
Kinda inconsistent with Reagan, what with him not being so young.
Winning in politics requires message, messenger, money, management....to name a few of the many ingredients.
I doubt she knows what day of the week it is never mind arranging holidays.
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