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Once her mind was made up, Thatcher had to act quickly to block the snowballing bid for leadership by Heseltine. She dislikes the ambitious, 57- year-old self-made millionaire as much for his views (she considers some of them dangerously socialistic, particularly his willingness to intervene in industrial policy) as for his flamboyant public personality. For her successor, Thatcher preferred one of two Cabinet ministers: Chancellor of the Exchequer John Major, 47, or Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, 60, both of whom, out of loyalty, could not declare themselves as candidates until the Prime Minister retired from the contest. She pulled out just in time for the two + ministers to beat the deadline of noon Thursday for entering the election. In a three-way race, Thatcher counted on the contest going to a third round of voting, thereby making it more difficult for Heseltine, the early front runner, to sweep to victory.
That afternoon Thatcher gave one more bravura performance -- perhaps her last -- in rallying the numbed Tories against a motion of no confidence proposed by Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who had felt obliged to respond to the spectacular disarray in the Conservative camp. In an emotion-charged atmosphere, the Prime Minister lit into Kinnock with such freewheeling enthusiasm that she brought Tory M.P.s to their feet cheering; others had tears in their eyes.
As she spoke eloquently about the evils of socialism and the European Community's ambitions, Thatcher drew laughter when she said, "I'm enjoying this." Said Ann Widdecombe, a Tory M.P., who reflected the remorse many in her party felt: "The rest of the world will think we are mad, as indeed we are," to have forced Thatcher out of office. Jack Straw, a Labour M.P., found it "wonderful to be rid of that awful woman." Liberal M.P. Menzies Campbell called her decision "brave but inevitable." Even Kinnock offered a grudging bit of praise, saying her departure showed "she amounts to more than those who have turned upon her in recent days."
Even on such a historic day, the session had its characteristic verbal swordplay. Labour M.P. Greville Janner stood and thanked Thatcher for "many personal kindnesses." Then, voice rising, he ticked off a list of miseries and inquired if she was aware that she was leaving the country "in such a shambles." Murmurs of approval from the Labour benches. Thatcher quickly stood up and tartly replied to the Right Honourable Janner, "He can speak to any brief, and I don't believe he believes a word of it." Roars of delight from the Tory side.
Praise and assessments of Thatcher poured in from all over the world, along with bouquets of flowers from Britons touched by her leave taking. President Bush, who had last seen her in Paris, praised her for being a "staunch friend and ally." Continued Bush: "She's a woman of principle. She stood for what she believed . . . I'll miss her."