Silver anniversary for ‘Mama Thatcher’

It's 25 years since Mrs Margaret Thatcher became MP for Finchley and Friern Barnet … and she proved on a whistle-stop visit to Southgate on Saturday that the vibes are still right between her and her constituents.

And she coined a new name for herself when she spoke to 214 of them at the Conservative Association's annual dinner-dance at Selborne Hall— “Mama” Thatcher.

Fresh from her visits to Rome and Paris, the Prime Minister arrived in North London with her encourage to announce that someone in Italy had rushed up to her to say: “What Italy needs is a Mama Thatcher.”

Prodding her finger at her audience and announcing what “Mama” intended doing. She commented: “Makes a nice change from Maggie.”

In Italy she is Mama. In Fleet Street she is Maggie. At home in Finchley she is Margaret.

Not that toastmaster Cyril F. Davis was on first name terms with the Prime Minister. He announced her as Mrs. Denis Thatcher.

“Unaccustomed as I am to speaking as Mrs Denis Thatcher.” began the new star of Yes Minister to a laugh … but she then won over the Tory ladies (and most of their escorts) by adding. “I am very proud to speak as Mrs Denis Thatcher.”

Her husband beamed approval as Mama Thatcher talked about income tax and peace and won a standing ovation from her constituency friends and guests.

On the former she said: “We will strain to reduce the level of income tax in the lifetime of this Government.”

If this was a heavy hint that Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson won't be making cuts in his forthcoming budget, she wasn't saying.

But she did indicate that her policies will continue “When I came in we were looking at five per cent inflation as an unattainable dream,” she said. Adding ominously: “It's still too high.”

On the question of peace, she said the world would be a better place without aggressors. But democracy had to be prepared to defend its principles. They had to know that peace could continue.

She said she thought the people of nations behind the Iron Curtain wanted the same objective. Although we disagreed on fundamentals, we lived on the same planet.

“It takes two to talk—it takes two to agree.” said the Prime Minister. “We have to aim for a lower level of weaponry. It is the democracies who are really peace-loving and we must get the others to agree to diminish the number of weapons.”

A few days before she set off on her next overseas trip—to Hungary—Mrs Thatcher emphasised the need for talk on both sides of the Iron Curtain. “This is no time for empty chairs at disarmament talks,” she said.

She was replying to a toast to the Government proposed by her constituency chairman. Ron Thurlow, who welcomed London North Euro-MP John Marshall and Finchley GLC member Neville Beale.

He said that the constituency had contributed £25,000 to the Million for Maggie Fund and referred to the star guest MP as “the star of Rome, Paris and Yes Minister.”

Turning to Mrs Thatcher, he announced she had “arrived” by being named on a Minder programme as “Her indoors at No. 10.”

Mr Thurlow started her silver anniversary in the House of Commons by saying: “You, Prime Minister, are the woman of our time.”

During the evening, copies of Fleet Street Sunday papers containing references to Mark Thatcher were rushed to Southgate.

Aides studied them in side rooms while Mrs. Thatcher was dining—but she showed no signs that anything was amiss. Mama was having an evening at home with her constituency family.