Dame Jennifer On Passing Of Margaret Thatcher
Speaking about the passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher today [Apr 8], former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith recalled meeting the “Iron Lady” when she came to Bermuda in 2001, saying they “shared the practice of canvassing in heels and a love of champagne.”
Baroness Thatcher died at the age of 87 following a stroke this morning. She served as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, a position she was the first woman to hold.
She paid two well-publicised visits to the island — the first as Prime Minister for a Good Friday summit meeting with US President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the second in 2001 as a private citizen to address a meeting organised by former Bermuda Premier Sir John Swan.
Dame Jennifer said “It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher today who was the first and only woman Prime Minster of the UK from 1979 to 1990.
“It never occurred to me that I would one day meet this great lady, and then, when it happened; I was unprepared for my reaction. I liked her! We hit it off like girlfriends! I was amazed.
“She was a woman of great intellect and great accomplishments. Although I admired her achievements, particularly her success in revamping the British Civil Service, we were on opposite ends of the political spectrum – she, a Conservative and me, a Labourite.
“You can imagine how I wondered what we could talk about when it transpired that she would be visiting Bermuda and I was to have the privilege of sitting next to her at a luncheon at the Commissioner’s House for the Bermuda Maritime Museum in 2001.
Baroness Thatcher at Commissioner’s House in 2001
“Prepared to be totally overwhelmed, I was unprepared for the warmth of her greeting and her careful attempts to put me at ease.
“I learned that we shared a love for hard work, service, and commitment to making a difference – not to mention that we also shared the practice of canvassing in heels and a love of champagne.
“That afternoon at Commissioner’s House ensured that I never again judged people I did not know on ‘face value’. Baroness Thatcher was so much more than her “Iron Lady” image – she was a woman, a caring mother, a loving wife, a concerned and involved citizen who changed her country. She will be mourned and missed by all who knew her and all who benefitted from her life,” concluded Dame Jennifer.
– Photograph courtesy of the Bermuda National Museum
I won’t lie,I was glad when she was stabbed in the back by her own Party. She was nasty!
Don’t talk about Dame Jennifer like that.
What a contrast in the comments of Dame Jennifer Smith and those of Nuffin but da truth! I assume Nuffin met the lady in person too… so as to justify the audacity of his jab.
as a matter of fact I did,numerous times!
Dreadful woman. A lot more Britons hated her than the rest of the world ever believed, me for one.
… she did win *three* elections single handily, though, did she not?
So did Tony Blair, ask Britain what it thinks of him too. Does tenure suddenly make someone great? if so Robert Mugabe is a great man. There are lots of flags waving in Britain today I promise you, no half masts in my hometown.
Like her or not… Have some respect!!
You earn respect, and after what she did, good riddance. I hate her, and so does half of Britain. The end.
Well the other half disagrees with you……… Hopefully you hate the British unions just as much!
Ding dong!
if you did you homework,you will find that much more than half hated her,incl her own party who got rid of her!
after 15 years of being their party leader, its always good to freshen up after a while, and she never lost the first party vote in 1990, she had the majority, but just didnt have enough to win outright, she could have stood in the second ballot but her cabinet asked her not to, she did the honourable thing and moved on. She served as an MP for 33 years, and was the first female party leader and PM, respect!! RIP
sure…Rust in Pieces Ironlady.
I’m impressed that Dame Jennifer says these things. She was obviously at a different end of the political spectrum, yet still says very nice things about the person she encountered. Classy, and well done.
Nice remarks, Dame Jennifer! Classy tribute.
Agree!
Dame Jennifer epitomises the Champagne Socialist!!
I for one don’t usually agree with Dame Jennifer, but her grace and love for Bermuda is evident in her stately comments.
OBA can take a page from her. Where is Dunkley and Gibbons and Moniz – could they of not write a speech for Craig to deliver to his subjects? Sad Jeff Sousa had to post on obaFacebook, what should of been sent hours ago.
Brits are Brutal
Ding Dong and street parties to celebrate her death..
What classy and eloquent comments from Dame Jennifer about Margaret Thatcher.
Shame on the hatemongers for their ever nasty remarks trying to paint the members of one party, whether it be PLP or OBA or the former UBP as all evil or “nasty”! I’m not a member of the PLP but I always had great respect for Dame Jennifer because she clearly loves her country and always did and always does what she believes is best for Bermuda.
It was exactly the same with Margaret Thatcher. Denigrate her as much as you like but she will be buried with full military honours in St Paul’s after a funeral attended by many of our World leaders along with Queen Elizabeth. The Iron Lady’s image will not be tarnished by a few bitchy remarks in this column or elsewhere. The Lady was not for turning! Not bad for a grocer’s daughter.
I have to agree with nuffin, Glory and expat — no love lost here! Her era in the UK along with Reagan’s era in the US, is when so much of the rot started. That’s when support for the working people who are the backbone and heart of both governments began to be abandoned by their policies in favor of the wealthy and huge corporations. The ones who had all the money to pump into political campaigns: capital that was available because they were less and less called on to pay their share of taxes. Hand in hand across the sea Margaret and Ron helped break the back of unions and any support for the middle classes, blinding their myopic eyes to the fact that inevitably, the weight of making up the wealthy’s shortfall would begin to crush the middle class, squeezing many out of jobs, homes, and a safe and reliable future.
So if you are wealthy, I would expect you mourn her passing as the leader who helped make much of your wealth possible. As to the rest of us, Thatcher was no friend, no matter that her life began as a shop’s daughter. Would that she had remembered more of her early life when making her political policies.