The Downing Street Years, 1979-1990

Acknowledgements

Many people assisted me in one way or another with the preparation of this book. Some I cannot name for they are still members of the civil service; others I can and do mention in what follows. But there is one person to whom I owe special thanks.

Government officials who prepare the ground for summit meetings are known in the trade as ‘sherpas’ after the Himalayan guides who assist people to climb Everest. My indispensable sherpa in the enterprise of writing this book has been Robin Harris. Robin has descended into the ravines of research for official papers to confirm or challenge my memory; he was a sure-footed guide through blizzards of fact and interpretation; and he ensured that the expedition reached its destination by the most direct route, in good order, and even attired with some elegance. Without his advice and help at every stage, I doubt that we could have reached the summit.

We were not alone on the journey. John O’Sullivan came skiing in occasionally, tuned up the arguments, pared the prose and pushed forward the narrative. Without him this book would have taken longer to write and it would take longer to read.

Another vital member of the team was Chris Collins, our researcher. He was meticulous, assiduous and totally committed; and to these qualities he added the valuable objectivity of the academic historian. Debbie Fletcher typed — and then retyped and typed again — the constantly evolving manuscript with impressive efficiency and unfailing cheerfulness. Tessa Gaisman brought her own special blend of good taste and common sense to the selection of the photographs. Carolyn Selman helped us sort press releases and press cuttings into manageable order. I am immensely grateful to all members of my memoirs team. Our work together has been — to borrow a phrase which appears later in this volume — ‘fraught but fun’.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of memoir writing is the reliving of old times with good friends. I was able to draw on the recollections and reflections of many of those who, in different ways, were involved with the story I have told. I would like to express my special thanks to Cynthia Crawford, Sir Charles Powell, Sir Alan Walters and John Whittingdale MP, all of whose assistance was invaluable. I also had the benefit of advice on particular topics from Professor Tim Congdon, Andrew Dunlop, Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach, George Guise, Rt. Hon. the Hon. Archie Hamilton MP, Sir John Hoskyns, Sir Bernard Ingham, Dr Sheila Lawlor, John Mills, Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Morrison, Ferdinand Mount, Lord Parkinson of Carnforth, Caroline Ryder, Stephen Sherbourne, Sir Kenneth Stowe, Lady Wakeham and Lord Wolfson of Sunningdale.

Leafing through the official papers, I found them fascinating but limited: indeed, their very dryness confirmed in my mind the value of writing this book. Some stories you have to live in order to tell. But, that said, I, who never kept a diary, would have been lost without them. I am, therefore, very obliged to Sir Robin Butler and the staff of the Cabinet Office for the kind and efficient way in which they made the records of my administration available to me.

My publishers, HarperCollins, acted as publishers should — allowing the author to do her stuff but keeping her up to the mark and within the deadline. Eddie Bell was a reassuring and shrewd source of practical guidance. Stuart Proffitt worked tenaciously to ensure that jargon was removed and obscurity illumined. I am grateful to them both.

Finally, I would like to thank Julian Seymour who runs my office: without him and the members of my staff this story could not have been told.