“Thatcher was naïve but sincere. This lot are a good deal more worldly-wise” Image: Flickr/ Chris Beckett
I once had an interesting conversation with a distinguished historian, now sadly departed. He spoke of the fascistic tendency of Thatcher. I thought that was going too far. It felt jejune, although I didn’t use that word of course. ‘No,’ he said, ‘think about it: the impatience of an authoritarian personality.’ He elaborated the point. And, yes, there was something in it.
Calling all Tories fascists is childish. There is a case for continuity and tradition. There is a place for scepticism. The case for a progressive politics is not so obvious it need not be argued. Sharpening your wits against an intelligent Conservative is a useful exercise. But the far right is another matter. The feeling was that a tendency had entered the mainstream of political life in Britain, an attitude that would survive its progenitors, and that would discard their restraining hand as it slouches towards Salem.
