Tears At Number Ten

In November 1990, I'd just got married and was on my honeymoon in Malta. News filtered through very slowly in those days. There was no TV in our hotel room (and anyway, y'know, honeymoon!) the London newspapers got there about midday. I was drinking and smoking in those days and so I thought my life was pretty complete, sitting on a hotel balcony, before going out to dinner with my new wife, with a bottle of local beer, duty-free ciggies and a copy of the Guardian explaining how Mrs Thatcher had finally been deposed and had been photographed being driven out of Downing Street teary-eyed.

The locals on the other hand where horrified. How could we have done this? The woman who "had saved Britain" in their eyes, betrayed over some minor policy mistakes and a dip in popularity. They loved the Iron Lady image - that's because they didn't have to live with the reality. People hearing us speaking with English accents spontaneously offered their commiserations and were genuinely shocked when I replied "Yes, it's great isn't it, time for a change!"

It's possible that there are some people out there in the world feeling the same way about Theresa May. But I doubt it. I also doubt that her successor will pull off a John Major and stay in power for another six years. We need a General Election and a new government now.