International

Margaret Thatcher bows out of public life

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MARCH 23. In the end, it could well turn out to be a false alarm and the "mummy'' might just return as she famously quipped in a controversial speech last summer, but as of now modern British politics looks resigned to a life without one of its most charismatic and infuriatingly belligerent political icons — Margaret Thatcher. She would never "ever'' make a public speech. And it is official.

The 76-year-old former prime minister has been forced to take a bow on doctors' advice after she suffered a number of minor strokes in recent months. This effectively means an end to a public life that saw her turn Britain upside down — pushing it irrevocably to the Right — when she ruled the country from No 10 Downing Street for 11 years with the ruthlessness of an "Iron lady''. Though of late, her public appearances at home had become fewer she continued to be heavily engaged in what she is best at: lecturing. Except that lately she had been lecturing mostly abroad and was particularly popular on the U.S. lecture circuit where rich Americans happily dug in their deep pockets to hear her.

She was to have gone on a series of some 30 lectures in America, fetching more than 30,000 pounds for each engagement. That is now off. Another casualty is a nationwide tour to promote her latest book "Statecraft'' which has already generated a political controversy over her extreme views on Europe prompting the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, this week to dare the Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith, a chip off the Thatcher block, to disown them.

The news that Lady Thatcher had been forced into "silence'' made for eloquent headlines such as "Voice of Thatcherism Falls Silent'', "The Lady is not for Talking'' and "Exit: a Great Talker''. There was a touch of sadness at the prospect of a "speechless'' Margaret Thatcher and as an aide put it: "It's quite a gulp, I must say''. Even her critics said they were going to miss her provocative one-liners ( "The Lady's not for turning'', "In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman'',``There is no such thing as a society. There are individual men and women, and there are families''. and her still robust appetite for a good argument.

The Guardian, which only two days ago was sufficiently provoked by her Europe-bashing to tell her to shut up, acknowledged today that an "extrordinary era'' was over. It described her as the "national soundtrack for a turbulent decade'' , a reference to her days as prime minister in the eighties. For once, even The Independent was generous enough to hail her as the voice which "still echoed round the world stage'' and devoted a full page to her "exit''.

Tories, ever in a dilemma over her, were thrown into confusion. They had spent all week trying to distance themeselves from her latest anti-Europe outburst and Mr. Duncan Smith was preparing to "relaunch'' the party this weekend under a more seductive label ("caring'', "one-nation'', rooting for "ordinary people''. when the news came. In the event, her shadow was all over the party prompting even Thatcher-sceptic Tories to adopt a nostalgic tone. In a formal reaction, Mr. Duncan Smith said he was saddened by the development and wished her "speedy recovery''.

Ironically, it was her husband Denis Thatcher whose health had been worrying Lady Thatcher, and recently she declined an invitation to attend the 20th anniversary of the Falkand Islands' "liberation'' because the journey would be "far too much for Denis''. Early this week however she suffered a minor stroke — the latest in a series — and doctors strongly advised her to slow down. "With great regret she has decided to abide by this advice and to cancel all her speaking engagements,'' a statement from her office said. Her aides were quoted as saying while she would definitely never "ever'' make public speeches, she might continue to write.

She was reported to be "alert'', and taking the new regime in her stride. As prime minister she once boasted that she slept for just four hours, and she hated holidays.

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