A co-conspirator has got in touch with Guido to remind readers that there is plenty of documentary evidence highlighting Margaret Thatcher’s repeated attempts to free Nelson Mandela, working through diplomatic channels – rather than just protesting outside the embassy. The Anti-Apatheid Movement specifically expressed their gratitude to her for her efforts…
Many left-wingers, despite being told by people who were actually involved in the diplomacy, despite all the available historical documentary evidence and the clarity of statements by Nelson Mandela himself, still persist in claiming Margaret Thatcher supported apartheid. It goes beyond mere political propaganda.
It is not enough that they disagreed with her on the means to end apartheid, they have to demonise her and further justify their hatred of Maggie. It chimes with the truism that the right thinks that left-wingers are just wrong about human nature whereas the left think that right-wingers are wicked humans. They have an emotional need to believe this, for the left it is not a difference of political opinion, it is a clash between the righteous and the bad.
The belief that Maggie supported apartheid has nothing to do with reason or reality. They want to believe she and her allies supported the racist regime to galvanise their hatred. It is dishonest, the deception however is more about emotion than propaganda.
Channel 4‘s interview with the Prime Minister in South Africa has again given rise to the internet myth that Margaret Thatcher somehow supported apartheid. Here’s Nelson Mandela setting the record straight.
“[Margaret Thatcher] is an enemy of apartheid. Our differences are in regard to the methods of inducing the Government to dismantle apartheid.”
Also worth noting that Michael Crick’s accusation that “Mrs Thatcher believed that Nelson Mandela was a terrorist” is nonsense. In fact when she met the leader of South Africa in 1984, official records show that Thatcher told Botha “very firmly” that “apartheid had to be dismantled, [and] Nelson Mandela and other prisoners released”. Anti-apartheid movement president Trevor Huddleston wrote to Thatcher to say her words were “truly all I could have wished for”.
Channel 4 should be better than to peddle comprehensively disproven internet myths.
Following Jo Swinson’s feminist call for a monument to Maggie yesterday, not everyone is standing up for the sisterhood. Leeze Lawrence, a veteran BBC producer whose past works include ‘Transsexual Stories‘, complains on Twitter: “What on earth is she doing? Has Jo Swinson any idea what Maggie did to this country?”
Are they even bothering with their impartiality rules any more?
Jon Snow shouted that he was part of the “anti-Thatcher brigade” while covering Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, Guido can reveal. Chartered accountant Craig Gardner witnessed the Channel 4 News anchor make the comment during the former Prime Minister’s funeral procession in 2013:
“When I attended Thatcher‘s funeral I was standing on Ludgate Hill in the City of London waiting for the cortege to pass towards St Paul’s Cathedral. Jon Snow and his Channel 4 News camera team barged through the crowds to get to the front to rig up their camera. While making his way through the crowd Mr Snow was shouting “anti-Thatcher brigade coming through”, so his recent remarks come as no surprise.”
Conor Burns MP, a close friend of Lady Thatcher, said in response:
“A comment and behaviour characteristically grubby and typical of the hard left – not one to be expected of a mainstream broadcaster whose credibility is fast evaporating.”
This is pretty much the consensus view of most Tories, good luck to Jon getting them to appear on his show, that is assuming he still dares to risk inviting any on…
UPDATE: A Channel 4 News spokesman says of this on-the-record eye witness account: “This is simply not true.” Notable that a spokesman gave the denial, not Snow himself. More to come soon…
The election result has left Labour’s compliance unit with quite a few new MPs who they weren’t expecting to make it to the Commons. Guido is only too happy to welcome them to Westminster, starting with new Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle. The carrot top Corbynista is a Momentum fan, hardcore socialist and self-proclaimed “Trot” who once tweeted a link to the “IsThatcherDeadYet.co.uk” website, telling his followers he was “Keeping track of when Maggie Thatcher finally cops it”. He also liked “Yes, Margaret Thatcher is dead” on Facebook. What a charmer.
Other words of wisdom from Russell-Moyle include calling Cameron and Osborne “scum” and declaring “I’d rather be a Trot than a Tory any day”. What lucky constituents he has…
Shortly after Margaret Thatcher became PM, her press office issued guidance on how to deal with media stories about her appearance. Her spinners would have said legs-it was “trivial and unconnected with her position as Prime Minister”.
Today Theresa May’s spokesman would not comment on the Daily Mail front page. That would be her spokesman James Slack, just hired from the Daily Mail…
