Baroness Thatcher has said that she will never speak in public again. During her 11 years as Prime Minister she was rarely short of words, answering 7,948 oral questions at 698 sessions of Question Time in the House of Commons. This is a selection of her most memorable comments.
"It will be years and not in my time before a woman will lead the party or become Prime Minister." August 1974, six months before being elected Conservative Party leader.
"I stand before you tonight in my green chiffon evening gown, my face softly made up, my fair hair gently waved. The Iron Lady of the Western World? Me? A Cold War warrior? Well, yes, if that is how they wish to interpret my defence of values and freedoms fundamental to our way of life." Speech in 1976, after an article in a communist magazine dubbed her the Iron Lady.
"There are a few times when I get home at night and everything has got on top of me when I shed a few tears, silently, alone." 1978
"To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say. You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning." Conservative Party conference, 1980
"No-one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well." Television interview, 1980
"If a woman like Eva Peron with no ideals can get that far, think how far I can go with all the ideals that I have." Interview in 1980
"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman." Speech 1982
"The battle for women's rights has been largely won." Interview, 1982"Failure? The possibilities do not exist." 1982, on the risks of sending a task force to the Falklands
"We shall carry on as usual." 1984, hours after surviving the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel, Brighton
I think, historically, the term 'Thatcherism' will be seen as a compliment." Speech, 1985
"What a good idea. I'm enjoying this," when, during her last appearance in parliament, Dennis Skinner suggested that she should be the Governor of the European Central Bank, 1990
"Having consulted widely among colleagues, I have concluded that the unity of the party and the prospects of victory in a general election would be better served if I stood down to enable Cabinet colleagues to enter the ballot for the leadership." Resignation, 1990
"To surrender the pound, to surrender our power of self-government, would betray all [that] the past generations down the ages lived and died to defend." May 2001
"I was told beforehand my arrival was unscheduled, but on the way here I passed a local cinema and it turns out you were expecting me after all. The billboard read The Mummy Returns." Greeting an audience at Plymouth Pavilion, May 2001
