Some criticism has been made of the Prime Minister’s "style". We all know she is brisk and determined, but leaks in Whitehall from Cabinet Ministers (amongst others) to the press accuse her of being "dictatorial"; this is clearly unfair. She has been rather hurt by this. I have tried to say "ignore it" but "remember not everyone can comprehend difficult problems and is able to think as fast as you can."
- A Letter from her husband Denis to their daughter in 1983
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"I am not a consensus politician, I'm a conviction politician." -Margaret Thatcher, May 14, 1979 "If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time and you would achieve nothing." -Margaret Thatcher, May 3, 1989 |
"To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best."
- Margaret Thatcher, March 18, 1987 “Any leader has to have a certain amount of steel in them, so I am not that put out being called the Iron Lady.” -Margaret Thatcher, August 18, 1980 |
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"He believes that her 'perplexing charm' enabled her to 'be getting away with' political ploys and stratagems which a man would not."
-Historian Eric Evans quoting one of Thatcher's advisors
"Lady Thatcher was certainly a remarkable person and a major political leader. Even though our talks were sometimes quite dramatic and more than lively, I found them intellectually stimulating and admired her deliberate approach to all subjects, her thoughtfulness and her ability to stand her ground – stubbornly but persuasively." |
"The hair was wrong, too suburban; it was restyled. The clothes were wrong, too fussy; they were replaced. The voice was wrong, too shrill; it was lowered in pitch through lessons from an expert in breathing. With singular dedication, Thatcher made herself into "Maggie", the leader who is remembered, and she did so knowing full well that she was not born to it, that it did not come naturally or easily." |