The Young Margaret

I read this review too and, even though I disliked MT intensely, I didn't believe that she could be as unpleasant in her personal life as she was in her political one. I was wrong. It can't be said that these disclosures are untrue because most of them are in the letters to her sister. Particularly shocking was the extremely snobbish and racist remark about "tatty tourists, Jews and the nouveau riche", and her attitude towards her bereaved father, with whom, apparently, she had little contact in later years.

I have also caught a bit of the official biography of MT in the morning on Radio 4. She certainly doesn't come across as a character one could warm to. In the extracts I've heard, she seems totally self-absorbed. Her sister must have been very tolerant to put up with endless details of MT's academic, social and political triumphs, her obsession with her appearance and with the financial status of her male companions.

Sadly, I missed the programme, but this review says it all - very amusingly - none of it surprises me. We used to have a neighbour who had been at school with her, although not in the same year. She said that Margaret was known by all as 'Bossy Roberts'.

I'm wondering what is the point of bringing this to our attention? Two new threads on her started today..... Hmm, seems a bit obsessive. The woman is dead, leave her be.

I agree let her ,

RIP

Margaret Thatcher was a major political figure who authorized her official biography to be published on her death - it's everywhere in the media and can't be ignored.

She's fair game.

I take the point about the autobiography, but feel that there was enough spite and venom displayed on this forum a couple of weeks ago. I would have thought that it was a bit late in the day to try and start that up again with this sort of contentious post.

Ceesnan and Nonu - I may not always like your posts, but I don't tell you what, where and when to post. Please accord me the same privilege.

The harm she wrought did not end with her retirement or her death.

I take it you can't actually find anything to say against her own admisson of snobbery, and racism, and the homophobia she displayed?

Nonu Ceesnan

MT wanted her biography to be written and she collaborated with her biographer, giving him access to personal letters from her to her sister. A programme on the BBC was devoted to her and her biography has been serialised on Radio 4. It is quite legitimate for people to comment on what they have seen, heard and read.

The comments to which you object relate to words spoken by MT herself, and to dismiss those comments as being merely "spite and venom" demonstrates an inability to recognize facts and an inability to accept that other people have a right to express views different from your own.

Eloethan , may i make a suggestion, that you read posts more carefully in future before you have such a knee-jerk reaction

Ironic!

The spite and venom to which I referred were about comments made by members of this forum. I simply don't see the need to try and start it up again.

I agree with Ceesnan , it is not at all neccessary to start all over again .

What is past , is past , every day a new beginning.

MT will be a topic of concersation for years to come. Now her biography has been published, we can see where her ideas came from.

Ceesnan and Nonu - it is not up to you to decide which subjects other members want to discuss.
I see you are not trying to defend Thatcher, just objecting to anyone stating the truth about her.

Facinating as this is, I am off shortly , as we are off to a "Barbie" , I love them so much , the smell I could die for .

I always eat too much , although I think I will have a prawn cocktail before I go . No, on second thoughts I will leave it till tommorrow as we have DD coming over for supper and I will be serving Chilli Con Carne ,
and I am sure they would like a prawn cocktail as an appetiser .

bit old school I know , but what the heck !

Nonu Why don't you start a new thread exclusively about your menus? I really don't think your love affair with prawn cocktail, an abomination about which we have already heard more than enough in my opinion, is a political issue.

absent

be happy x

Believe me Nonu I am.

Nasty.

Aka I don't think MT was nasty - politically divisive, yes ..... in my opinion.

Well, at least Gransnet seems to be back to normal now, after the strange atmosphere which has prevailed over the last few days...

What please is "normal" for GRANSNET ?
I don't think those words go together!

Thatcher's biography shows her to be a rather self-centred person whose values are not some that I can admire. I have no problem with those who are driven to succeed in their chosen field. But I do have a problem with a public figure who quotes the prayer of St Francis of Assisi to make political capital but whose personal life and values certainly did not match it.

I consider somebody who is homophobic, snobbish and racist to be very nasty indeed.