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By Root 2894 0

they had revealed a groundswell of discontent which could not be ignored. That discontent was most in evidence in the Parliamentary Party. A minority of Conservative MPs were uneasy about the line I was taking on Europe. But more important was the fact that there was a widespread restlessness because avenues of promotion into the ranks of the Government seemed blocked. I too felt that changes were required. When a prime minister has been in power for ten years he or she must be that much more aware of the dangers of the government as a whole appearing to be tired or stale. Since I hardly ever felt seriously tired and never felt stale I had no intention of giving that impression. I decided to make some changes in the Cabinet to free up posts at every level and bring on some new faces.

I had also been thinking about my own future. I knew that I had a good few more years of active service left in me and I intended to see through to the end the restoration of our economic strength, the fulfilment of our radical social reforms and that remodelling of Europe on which I had embarked with the Bruges speech. I wanted to leave behind me when I went, perhaps halfway into the next Parliament, several candidates with proven character and experience from whom the choice of my successor could be made. For various reasons I did not believe that any of my own political generation were suitable. ‘Of course, she would say that, wouldn’t she,’ may be the obvious retort. But closer consideration will, I hope, show I had good reasons. If one considers the possibilities — first among those who were of my own way of thinking: Norman Tebbit was now concentrating on looking after Margaret and on his business interests; Nick Ridley who never suffered fools gladly would not have been acceptable to Tory MPs; Cecil Parkinson had been damaged in the eyes of the old guard. Geoffrey Howe I shall come to shortly. Nigel Lawson had no interest in the job — and I had no interest in encouraging him. Michael Heseltine was not a team player and certainly not a team captain. Anyway, I saw no reason to hand over to anyone of roughly my age while I was fit and active. In the next generation, by contrast, there was a variety of possible candidates who ought to be tested in high office: John Major, Douglas Hurd, Ken Baker, Ken Clarke, Chris Patten and perhaps Norman Lamont and Michael Howard. I felt it was not for me to select my successor. But I did have the obligation to see that there were several proven candidates from whom to choose.

I was, however, wrong on one important matter. Of course, I understood that some of my Cabinet colleagues and other ministers were more to the left, some more to the right. But I believed that they had generally become convinced of the Tightness of the basic principles as I had. Orthodox finance, low levels of regulation and taxation, a minimal bureaucracy, strong defence, a willingness to stand up for British interests wherever and whenever threatened — I did not believe that I had to open windows into men’s souls on these matters. The arguments for them seemed to me to have been won. I now know that such arguments are never finally won.

A little earlier I left aside Geoffrey Howe from my discussion of possible leadership candidates. Something had happened to Geoffrey. His enormous capacity for work remained, but his clarity of purpose and analysis had dimmed. I did not think he was any longer a possible leader. But worse than that, I could not have him as Foreign Secretary — at least while Nigel Lawson was Chancellor — after his behaviour on the eve of the Madrid Council. Perhaps if I had known that Nigel was about to resign I would have kept Geoffrey at the Foreign Office for at least a little longer. As it was, I was determined to move him aside for a younger man.

I decided that two ministers should leave the Cabinet altogether. Paul Channon was loyal and likeable. But Transport was becoming a very important department in which public presentation was at a premium — what with the appalling disasters which seemed to plague