European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 8 the stars and stripes thursday november 29,1990tories survival key to Thatcher s demise by Gilbert a. Lewthwaite the Baltimore Sun London a Margaret Thatcher so recently the a my a Tate person the Western world this weekend will be a suburbanite living comfortably beside the third tee of a Golf course in Leafy Dulwich a smart suburban area m Southeast London. Her removal from 10 Downing Street was As Swift As it was stunning. It took just a week to end her 11 years of leadership. How could a woman who engineered three consecutive general election victories for her party and established herself As one of Britain a greatest prime ministers in the 20th Century be so rudely dismissed How could such a fighter throw in the Towel so readily it is a Story of personal bitterness political vendetta and Campaign mismanagement. Trouble was stalking Thatcher Long before it caught up with her. For four years Michael Heseltine had been waiting for the moment to strike Back at the woman by whose Side he worked for seven years and from whose Cabinet he stormed in 1986 Over a policy dispute. Heseltine has never made any secret of his ambition to be prime minister. Thatcher was the Barrier. He waited and he travelled the country spreading his manifesto to local party constituencies. On nov. 3 he decided his Chance had come. Two Days earlier sir Geoffrey Howe had resigned As Deputy prime minister citing differences Over thatchers approach to Europe. It threw the conservative party into turmoil. 3 in an open letter Heseltine said that Howe s departure was a a profound loss to the  he then lowered the Boom on thatchers anti european posture and authoritarian style of leadership. He warned that if things continued the tories risked being voted out of office. Thatcher and her supporters shrugged off the letter As just another attack from an ambitious bitter and frustrated politician. Heseltine a letter was not a direct Challenge. That was yet to come. A party leadership vote was slated for nov 20. Nominations had to be in by nov. 15. Heseltine was testing the Waters watching and weighing the reaction to his anti Thatcher initiative. He had one Strong card. Polls showed that the tories us l to hatchery faced almost certain election defeat at a is of the labor party. Those polls also suggested that Heseltine could reverse that and give the conservatives their fourth term in Power. The instinct of self survival started to Manifest itself members of parliament began to swing to the Heseltine Camp. Still Heseltine did not Issue a direct Challenge. On nov. 13, Howe Rose from his dark Green leather seat on the Bac benches of the House of commons and delivered what by All assessments was one of the most devastating of modern parliamentary attacks. He warned that thatchers implacable opposition to european monetary Union Poset a serious risks for the nation. He denounced her leadership style and then in an open invitation to party Mutiny he said a the time has come for others to consider their own response to the tragic conflict of loyalty with which i have myself wrestled for perhaps too  Heseltine immediately declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the tory party and thereby for the premiership of the nation. The Battle was joined. Thatcher appointed a Campaign team to put her Case for continuity to the 372 tory members of parliament who would vote in the leadership election. It was a Campaign conducted largely in the Tea room bars and lobby in the Palace of Westminster. Thatcher speaking to the House of commons British prime minister Margaret Thatcher resigns As conservative party Leader. Remained aloof. And her Campaign appeared to Lack Zeal. Heseltine ran a High profile Campaign seeking Media coverage to project his alternative of a More pro european More interventionist government. Of crucial import he promised to review the unpopular poll or head tax that Thatcher this year had introduced to replace property taxes. On the eve of the vote one of thatchers aides noticed that she looked drawn and tense. He bade her Good night and said a Good Luck  she replied glumly a Luck does no to seem to be going my Way these  5 As the maps voted for their Leader on nov. 20 in committee room 12 of the House of commons Thatcher was in pans attending the Summit of the conference on Security and co operation in Europe. The ballot closed at 6 . The counting started immediately. Thatcher was in the British embassy in Paris waiting to go to a reception at Versailles with other world leaders. Her parliamentary private Secretary Peter Morrison was on the phone to Alastair Goodlad a government whip who would relay the result. Morrison scribbled Down the numbers. Thatcher 204 votes. Michael Hesel the 152. Abstentions 16. Passed the figures a Quot b0ped�?� said a a he outside the embassy bbl political reporter John Sargent was broadcasting live to London telling his Audi that i a my mediate statement was expected from is Sfa a d get Down there a said the prime minister. She rushed out and grabbed the microphone would Wighton gent�?Tt0 announce publicly that she Timoi i news spread through the Summit the International leaders politely offered her their commiseration and Best wishes. Back in London an unusual dinner party was convened. It was hosted by tristan Garel Jones a former government parliamentary whip. Around the table were some of the brightest Young thatche rites including several Cabinet ministers. Their Nightmare was that Many parliamentarians having shown their loyalty by giving her 55 percent of the first vote would Peel away into the Heseltine Camp. Garel Jones was convinced that the Only Way to Stop Heseltine was for Thatcher to Bow out and he got his message across to some important emissaries. Thatcher returned to London and invited some of her closest advisers to lunch. It was inconclusive. There was no consensus on what she should do. She went to the House of commons. She asked members of her Cabinet to come individually to see her. To each she said a it is a funny old world Isnit it i have won three elections. I believe i retain the overwhelming support of the people in the country. I have never been Defeated be u be a censure vote or indeed a vote of Confidence. In the first ballot i commanded a substantial majority of my own party members. Yet i am at risk. What Are your views the Cabinet members said that they would stand by her should she insist on running but warned her that k v los in ser Ous jeopardy. The majority View was that she should allow other members of the Cabinet to con tront Heseltine in the second round ballot it was then she decided that if the Field was to be enlarged she would not be in it. She would step Down one went Home to sleep on the decision. Her husband Denis reinforced it telling her a a done to lets be humiliated. The next morning she announced her resignation foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and Chancellor of the exchequer John major entered the leadership fray. The Thatcher Era was Over. British from Page 1 Taitts Campaign As a a Man of the people. He left school at 16, was unemployed for a period failed a math test for bus conductors but went on to make his reputation in banking. Thatcher has been grooming him for Power Over the past three years appointing in to the department or social Security the foreign office and the Treasury. His Rise is one of the most meteoric in Modem British politics. A it is a very exciting thing to become Leader of the conservative party and particularly exciting to follow one of the most remarkable leaders the conservative part has Ever had a major said tuesday night our Job now is quite Clear. We Are going to unite. We Are going to unite totally and absolutely and we Are going to win the next  the next election has to be called by summer of 1992. 7. For most of the past year polls have Siven the opposition labor party a double digit Lead but the most recent soundings have suggested that major could be a Winner. Tuesday Britain a largest bookmakers made the tories 8 to 11 favourites for  a Byrile Der. Neh Kinlock 48, quickly dubbed major the a no change no majority Mii?1ster�?T t portraying him As a Thatcher clone. He added a Britain will be Given More of the  Paddy Ashdown Leader of the social Warta so said he has but himself Forward As the preserver of Thatcher ism. If so diffs h that Che political change ending the divisive period of latter Day autocratic Thatcher Rule opening the Way for More cooperative cab-branlnf�?�16111�?T and introducing a Brand of caring  new Tony Newton the Secretary of Socia services said tuesday night a a anybody who thinks John major is anybody spool and not his own Man has got another thin coming. Anybody who sees John As some body without a very Strong interest in Socia affairs and a genuine interest in people who Are less Well off has another thin  ironically majors Victory vote a smaller than thatchers support in the firs leadership ballot last week which led to he decision to step Down. Major got 185 votes in tuesdays second round ballot of the 372 conservative Mem Bers of parliament. In fact 187 of his Pai Hamen tary colleagues voted against him