Friday 27 February 2009

Tory Tory Tory

I was going to rant about Thatcher today, after watching last night's BBC2 dramatisation of her last days in power. All the old boiling, screaming hatred came back like an old friend, to which was added the impotent fury caused by the fact that even the party that's meant to be on our side was comprehensively captured by her manichaean attitudes towards race, diplomacy, foreigners, the poor, the weak etc. etc. etc.

But I won't. Cynical Ben's already done it beautifully.

There was one distracting thing about this adaptation - I was sometimes so captivated by the quality of the actors and their uncanny accuracy (Ken Clarke!) that I forgot to enjoy the misery suffered by the actual politicians. Lindsey Duncan was brilliant but couldn't bring herself to be quite as evil and unsympathetic as Thatcher really was. I'm not a vindictive man, but if there's any justice, Thatcher will spend her declining years at the back of a queue for bread, unable to complain because she's lost the power of speech. For starters.

4 comments:

Benjamin Judge said...

Ah Thatcher. Even a post that starts by saying you aren't going to rant about her ends with a little rant. It is just impossible to let it go isn't it? She is such an evil evil woman. I have a fantasy that when she dies there will be scenes reminiscent of the funerals of Diana and Churchill and it will only be half way through the news coverage that they will realise that it is not a crowd of mourners but a patient organised queue of people waiting to dance on her grave.

Anonymous said...

Why are all you men scared of such an awesome powerful woman?! She was the best thing to happen to Britain. Ever. Long live Maggie. Girl Power!

Benjamin Judge said...

Hello Anonymous. Fair point. I remember when Thatcher guaranteed equal pay for men and women well. Girl Power indeed!

The Plashing Vole said...

Anonymous (very brave of you): I presume you're being satirical. In case you aren't, I've decided you need a proper reply - see the entry 'Girl power'.