Simon Heffer's Blog, page 41

Could he trigger a snap general election?

According to every opinion poll, the Lib Dems are a shadow of the party that fought the last general election. It now appears only a small number of deluded die-hards are prepared to vote for them — and I suspect even some of these will change their minds.

Vote Red Ed, get Red Len as the Labour dinosaurs roar back to life

The Labour Party would like us to think that, ever since Tony Blair sanitised it nearly 20 years ago, it has been perfectly reasonable, sensible and fit for human consumption.

The week he woke up to the folly of the modernisers

Normal politics is slowly resuming after the death of Lady Thatcher, and things are looking pretty grim for her old party. Tories canvassing ahead of the local government elections on Thursday week indicate they will be thrashed.

The nasty side of Labour that proves it's unfit to govern

Tony Blair’s broadside in the New Statesman magazine against Ed Miliband for being out of touch with mainstream opinion could not be more timely, given the distasteful, ungenerous and unChristian attacks on Lady Thatcher by so many on the Left.

Lest we forget how terrible things were: The woman who saved Britain - the verdict of three historians

Britain was on its knees on May 3, 1979 when Margaret Thatcher was elected prime minister. Ever since World War II, politicians had made it their priority to manage what they considered to be its inevitable decline.

It will be an insult to history to deny her this honour

Our nation pays no higher tribute to its great men and women than to accord them a state funeral. There have been only 12 for commoners in 427 years: men such as Nelson, Wellington, Gladstone and Churchill, names that will forever resonate in our history.

From grocer's daughter to Iron Lady: How Margaret Thatcher rose to become the first woman Prime Minister

--> Margaret Roberts was born in 1925 in Grantham, where father was a grocer Studied chemistry at Oxford and married Denis Thatcher in 1951 Couple had twins Carol and Mark by the time she became MP in 1959 Elected Tory leader in 1975; from 1979 to 1990 served as Prime...

If the Tories win the welfare debate they CAN win the election

Sometimes I fear the Tory Party is so out of touch with normal people — as on same-sex marriage, for example, or overseas aid — that it cannot see when it does actually chime with about 90 per cent of the public.

The week the Fourth Reich began (without a shot being fired)

There has been a historic shift in the balance of power in Europe this week that will have profound repercussions for us all.

So much more than a lachrymose luvvie: A director who would blub at the drop of a hat, yes. But Dickie Attenborough, who has moved into a care home, should be celebrated as one of our very finest actors

--> Actor and director Attenborough has suffered ill health since stroke in 2008 His debut was in Noel Coward’s masterpiece In Which We Serve in 1942 He is one of the finest British actors of his generation As a director he won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture for...