Thatcher denies being exploited by Brown's 'political stunt'

Margaret Thatcher yesterday poured scorn on Tory Party claims that she was exploited by Gordon Brown.

The former premier gave a dressing down to one of David Cameron's frontbenchers who accused Mr Brown of taking advantage of an 'elderly, lonely and frail' old lady by inviting her to No. 10.

Friends say Lady Thatcher was infuriated by Rob Wilson's claims that she was the victim of a political 'stunt' after she called in for the private talks and met the Labour leader's family on Thursday.

"The idea that she was being exploited is a silly one," said her spokesman. "She has been to No. 10 to see every one of her successors. It was very gracious for the Prime Minister to invite her.

"It would have been unheard of for her not to accept. I don't think these comments are helpful to anybody."

The meeting between the Iron Lady and the former Iron Chancellor overshadowed Mr Cameron's launch of his party's green policy proposals, with Westminster's attention focused on the sight of Lady Thatcher walking back through the doors of No. 10.

The politically potent meeting was seen as another coup for Mr Brown who has sought to win over Tory voters by publicly praising Lady Thatcher and likening himself to her in being a "conviction politician".

While Mr Cameron's office publicly claimed he was relaxed about the meeting, senior Conservative MPs and aides were privately insisting that the meeting was a stunt.

In an article for the Tory website conservativehome, higher education spokesman Mr Wilson said the image of Lady Thatcher appearing alongside Mr Brown would make "all decent British people wince".

He added: "My feeling of delight for the Baroness going back to the scene of her former glories was tempered by an uneasy feeling about the way she was apparently being exploited by the Prime Minister.

"Baroness Thatcher is 81, she is elderly, she is lonely, she is frail and she has difficulty with her memory. Those closest to her say that her grasp on daily life is 'some days better than others'.

"Is it right that a serving prime minister should exploit a situation like this for his own political ends?

"Is that what Gordon Brown did yesterday? Was this another carefully choreographed Brown "dog-whistle" to Conservative-minded electors that it's safe to vote for him?"

Conservative insiders said a frontbencher such as Mr Wilson was unlikely to have made such comments without being sanctioned by Mr Cameron's office.

But the move backfired spectacularly when Lady Thatcher praised the decision to invite her to No. 10.

Far from appearing frail, she looked radiant in deep pink as she waved at the media on Thursday and smiled alongside Mr Brown and his wife Sarah.

Sources close to Mr Brown also leapt to Lady Thatcher's defence saying that Mr Wilson's description of her was "hurtful and wrong".

One said: "They bear no relation to the Prime Minister's own private meeting with Lady Thatcher. Whatever people think of her policies, Lady Thatcher is respected by milvisitedlions of British people for her strength of leadership.

"She does not deserve to be treated in this way by Conservative MPs. David Cameron should sack him from the front bench."

Mr Wilson's comments also brought an angry response from Conservative activists on the website. One said: "It is a dreadful slur on our magnificent former prime minister.

"Mrs Thatcher is not lonely and is regularly by former colleagues-such as Lord Forsyth. Her body may be frail but her mind remains sharp, especially on political matters."

Another said: "The 'Great She Elephant' knew precisely what she was doing, the shame for the Conservatives is that they neither saw it coming or cared too little until the damage was done."

Tory defence spokesman Gerald Howarth, a friend of Lady Thatcher, said Mr Brown's behaviour had been politically motivated.

"I find this nauseating, to see him trying to cash in on the public affection for Lady Thatcher," said Mr Howarth.

He added, however: "I'm also of the view that if a former prime minister is invited (to No. 10) by a current prime minister, it is inconceivable that she would turn it down."

PING

I hate to take sympathy with a Labour PM but this idiot Tory who said:

“Baroness Thatcher is 81, she is elderly, she is lonely, she is frail and she has difficulty with her memory. Those closest to her say that her grasp on daily life is ‘some days better than others’.”

Who the hell does he think he is?

I’ll hazzard a guess he’s spent even less time with the iron lady than Gordon Brown.

He has no right to make such assertions, especially when they contradict the words of those who know her best.

The socialist Tories are trying to claim Margaret Thatcher paid a visit to Prime Minister Brown for political reasons. That's a load of codswallop!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

I don’t know but apparently your Tories are in the same boat as our Republicans; they have now moved far away from both the principles and philosophy our Great Communicator Ronald W. Reagan, and Your Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher..

In fact, ours are in a far worse state.

Your Republicans at least stick to tax cuts, our don’t and plan for a bigger government.

Your Republicans have stuck to the war on terror - ours have played politics with it and demanded investigations in the middle of the war.

Your Republicans still profess an admiration for the great Ronald Reagan, our Tories have run away from Thatcher.

Ours are desperately promoting homosexuals and muslims to high level positions for political purposes, your Republicans at least haven’t played such games.

Honestly, it’s quite awful, out Tories are in a bad way lewd by a completely unqualified man who just happened to be able to exploit his history as a PR man to get the top job.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the troubles of the GOP but right now I really don’t think there is a comparison - our Conservatives are near non existant.

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