@PeterDJust researching life #AfterDowningStreet Research Associate, Centre for Legislative Studies Author of 'Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street'
London
Joined April 2023
- Tweets4.3K
- Following2.2K
- Followers918
- Likes3.8K
Pinned Tweet
🧵 What do Prime Ministers do out of office?
🚨 Not always what you think.
📘 'Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street' explodes the myths that have surrounded her ex-premiership.
🔍 It also provides a framework to study the Office of Former Prime Minister.
1/
ALT A book cover featuring an image of Margaret Thatcher. It reads, 'Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street', Peter Just. There is a quote from Andrew Roberts, 'A joy to read'.
📘 In 'Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street' we highlight how 'explaining themselves' is one of the key themes flowing through the lives of ex-Prime Ministers.
🤔 Has any former occupant of No. 10 ever done that more than Liz Truss?
Liz Truss has accused former government ministers Lord Gove, James Cartlidge and Sir Mel Stride of toppling her premiership so they could get top jobs in Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet.
Read the interview with the former prime minister ahead of the release of her new book here ⤵️
telegraph.co.uk/politics/202…
😂 '"Newton and Ridley" - I have a Newton in my Cabinet and I have a Ridley in my Cabinet.'
🚨 A reminder of how superb an actress Margaret Thatcher was.
🌍 With those from The North surely recognising many of her characteristics from the women amongst whom they grew up.
Peter Just retweeted
📋 As we argued in our paper on Stanley Baldwin's life after Downing Street, the people best placed to judge Prime Ministers are other Prime Ministers.
🚨 So it was that some of his successors led the charge on rehabilitating Baldwin, to the extent, in their eyes, he needed it.
📋 As we argued in our paper on Stanley Baldwin's life after Downing Street, the people best placed to judge Prime Ministers are other Prime Ministers.
🚨 So it was that some of his successors led the charge on rehabilitating Baldwin, to the extent, in their eyes, he needed it.
🚨 Harold Macmillan was another former Prime Minister who did not abide by Stanley Baldwin's pledge not to speak to the man on the bridge and not to spit on the deck.
🗣️ Margaret Thatcher would later use his House of Lords Maiden Speech in defence of her own.
🚨 Great to see Stanley Baldwin quoted in this speech by @LordNortonLouth.
🔍 Very useful for my ongoing research on Baldwin's life after Downing Street, both as an individual and as an idea.
💡 Our current views of this 'after life' need to be revisited.
✅ And corrected.
My speech opening the debate in the Lords on Monday on the subject of citizenship education
hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/…
🚨 What connects Margaret Thatcher with Bill Clinton attending a meeting with Tony Blair and his Cabinet in May 1997?
📰 This great front page story in the Sunday Times, with some glorious headline ordering of the events in Blair's diary.
ALT Newspaper article from The Sunday Times dated 25 May 1997 and headlined, 'Blair in secret talks with Thatcher; Clinton to address cabinet at No 10'.
🚨 'Putting pen to paper' was one of five themes identified by Kevin Theakston in his seminal work, 'After Number 10: Former Prime Ministers in British Politics'.
📘 Hot on the heels of Gordon Brown's recent book, here's another from a fellow ex-PM, with Brown on the cover.
🗓️ This day, 19 October, in 1963, was Harold Macmillan's first full day as an ex-Prime Minister.
🚨 Despite what he claimed, he remained politically active.
🗣️ He made speeches, 10 in Parliament.
👨🏻🦱 Had conversations.
📺 Spoke on TV.
🌏 Travelled the world.
📚 Wrote books.
ALT Harold Macmillan.
🚨 65 years ago today, on 18 October 1961, two former Prime Ministers, Clement Attlee (Earl Attlee) and Anthony Eden (The Earl of Avon) spoke in a debate on 'The International Situation'.
🗣️It had been opened the day before by a future former Prime Minister, The Earl of Home.
ALT Clement Attlee and Anthony Eden.
🚨 Shortly before he resigned, Tony Blair was asked what he would be when out of office.
🗣️ 'A former celebrity,' he said, perhaps tellingly.
🍺 This story about Keir Starmer highlights a key fact about former Prime Ministers.
⚡️ The fame being PM gave them is inescapable.
It's BEER Starmer! Former Prime Minister Keir enjoys a pint or two at luvvies' famous Hampstead pub loved by Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and Liam Gallagher trib.al/kIVwJfS
🗣️ 'Mrs Thatcher had to work on herself *for years* to reach this level.'
🚨 In addition to her luck, an important point in Margaret Thatcher's story, too often overlooked, is *how hard* she had to work to get to where she got too - and how hard she worked in and out of office.
The @Conservatives leader pays tribute to “badass teachers like Katharine Birbalsingh @Miss_Snuffy” to fervent applause. I must say, as a communicator, @KemiBadenoch is head and shoulders above all other party leaders right now. Her speech has texture, nuance, colour, and political depth. She radiates ‘badass’ sincerity. Mrs Thatcher had to work on herself *for years* to reach this level. Kemi Badenoch seems to have it all for nothing. #CPC26
🚨 Margaret Thatcher as prophet in 1994, one reason for her continuing relevance today.
🗣️ ‘The Russian people - and the Ukrainians - are good people who have suffered mightily - they deserved better than they have received from those who claim to be the guardians of liberty.’
ALT A photograph of Margaret Thatcher by Helmut Newton.
🗣️ 'The memory of this remarkable lady will last for ever.'
🚨 So said Sir David Amess, who was killed five years ago today, in his debate on Margaret Thatcher's legacy in September 2013.
🗓️ He had tabled a similar debate in December 1990 on political developments since 1979.
ALT Sir David Amess.
Peter Just retweeted
🚨 Good to see this Constitution Society blog by Mark Bennister on life after prime ministerial office.
😊 Very pleased to see it reference our 2004 article on their role in Parliament.
🧑🏻💻 Not least as I'm currently updating that.
consoc.org.uk/life-after-pm-…
🚨 Good to see this Constitution Society blog by Mark Bennister on life after prime ministerial office.
😊 Very pleased to see it reference our 2004 article on their role in Parliament.
🧑🏻💻 Not least as I'm currently updating that.
consoc.org.uk/life-after-pm-…
🎉 To mark Margaret Thatcher's 101st birthday, here's one of @Richard_Stone2's six wonderful portraits.
😍 It is my favourite painting of her, capturing so much of Lady Thatcher, including of her after Downing Street.
🔗 Read about it Richard's website:
richardstoneuk.com/portfolio…
ALT Margaret Thatcher portrait by Richard Stone.
Peter Just retweeted
📷 This image of Margaret Thatcher taken by Ian Waldie on this day, 12 October, at the 1994 Conservative Party Conference was later published as a postcard by the National Portrait Gallery as part of a series, ‘Iconic women (captured by Reuters photographers) in the press’.
ALT Margaret Thatcher sat between some men at the 1994 Conservative Party Conference.