Michiel 2005's photos with the keyword: resignation

Geoffrey Howe fought with Margaret Thatcher over Europe. Howe wanted a closer union, integrating the Pound Sterling into the Exchange Rate Mechanism, while Thatcher remained largely opposed and suspicious of Europe. In the end Howe resigned and he made an absolute marvellous resignation speech in the Commons, probably the only speech worth remembering of this politician who was known as "Mogadon Man". The Labour politician Dennis Healey once described debating with Howe " like being savaged by a dead sheep ". Hansard has the complete speech . I remember seeing the resignation speech live on the BBC and I was flabbergasted for the second time. The first time was when I saw the Commons for the first time. It was Sir Ian Gow, a Conservative MP, later murdered by the IRA, who held the traditional backbencher's speech after the Queen's Speech. Thatcher was right about Europe though.

I could not remember there being a different Prime Minister other then mrs. Thatcher, because she became the PM when I was nine. In the end it had all turned a bit sour, she thought she was the Supreme Ruler of the Universe and she had few friends. Geoffrey Howe wielded the knife, Michael Heseltine moved in for the kill, but John Major succesfully climbed the greasy pole. Ah.. the Major years, where every week another minister was found wearing women's clothing or was discovered to be spending time with total strangers in the harbour.