Margaret’s version

The prime minister who forever changed the United Kingdom; the first woman ever to hold the office of Prime Minister opened the doors of the political realm to women. Her time in office was longer than that of any British premier before her. From 1979 to 1990 Margaret Thatcher, who passed away in London on April 8, disclosed her profound religiosity in an interview released in 1978.Moore remembers Mrs. Thatcher. Great Britain will bid its last farewell to Baroness Thatcher with solemn funerals, on the same level as those celebrated for the Queen Mother and Princess Diana, for whose organization Prime Minister David Cameron interrupted his trip across Europe. Charles Moore, Mrs. Thatcher’s official biographer and former editor-in-Chief of the "Daily Telegraph", in an interview with Silvia Guzzetti for SIR Europe recalls that the Iron Lady "has been the most important Prime Minister since Winston Churchill", and also "the most successful one in the 20th century, in times of peace". Moore underlined "the revolution introduced in the UK with the first woman in Downing Street". She opened the doors of Downing Street to women. "Women’s job and political opportunities thus changed forever". Moore added: "Thanks to her electoral success Margaret Thatcher transformed Great Britain from the economic and social angles, managing to recover Great Britain’s international reputation".The sadness of the Queen and of the Catholic primate. Queen Elisabeth "was said to hear of the news of the death" of former Prime Minister Thatcher. The Catholic Primate, the Most Reverend Monsignor Vincent Nichols, was among the first "to pray for the repose of her soul" and "for the intentions of her family and all those who now mourn for her". "With sadness we heard the news of the death of Baroness Thatcher, who served this country for many years", said Archbishop Nichols. Mrs. Thatcher was deeply religious. Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving Prime Minister in the 20th century – from 1979 to 1990 -, was deeply religious. Raised in the Methodist faith by her father, she later drew near the Anglican Church. Arriving for first time at 10 Downing Streets, shortly after her election in 1979, she pronounced her famous statement, drawing from St. Francis’ Prayer, "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope". She spoke of her faith in an interview to the "Catholic Herald". A few months before her appointment Catholic Herald editor Richard Dowden had an in-depth interview with Margaret Thatcher, in which she spoke of her faith at length. Referring to Christian commitment for the poor, she said: "while you’re teaching them religion you’ve got to recognise that they are not very likely to receive it or understand it unless it does mean something and enables them to do things for themselves".Relieving poverty is not enough. But this does not solve the problem. "when you’ve relieved poverty and ignorance and disease, if you are not a Christian you think that sorts out the problems of the world. You and I know it doesn’t, because there is still the real religious problem in the choice between good and evil. Choice is the essence of ethics". Mrs. Thatcher, who would have thereafter introduced a deep social revolution in Great Britain, downsizing the power of the unions, liberalizing the job market and enabling all those who otherwise had no significant assets of their own to access ‘social housing’, in the interview said that "there really is no primary poverty left in this country".Individual conscience. "There may be poverty because people don’t know how to budget, don’t know how to spend their earnings, but now you are left with the really hard fundamental character-personality defect", Mrs. Thatcher said, and went on to highlight that people turn to drugs or resort to terrorism for reasons to be found in individual conscience. I’m different from a Marxist. "There’s good and evil in everyone. The fundamental purpose on earth is to impove your own human nature and disposition. You can only do that by doing things for others". In what can be considered Mrs. Thatcher ‘s spiritual testament she said: "Even when you’ve been taught all the right things it doesn’t mean to say you will do them. Every person, whether high or low born, each has that choice, their personal responsibility. If you deny that personal responsibility you are denying the religious basis of life". "That’s the difference between me and a Marxist", added Mrs. Thatcher a few months before entering 10 Downing Street: "The values by which you and I live are not values given by the State".Christianity as sanctity. "Christianity is about more than doing good works", said Mrs. Thatcher at the end of the interview. It is a deep faith which expresses itself in your relationship to God. It is a sanctity, and no politician is entitled to take that away from you".