A 12-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg professed his undying love for money, Margaret Thatcher, and his own future political ambitions.
October 13 marked what would have been Margaret Thatcher’s 100th birthday. Predictably, the occasion sparked a wave of commentary about the most divisive figure in modern British politics. Her legacy looms large, credited or blamed, depending on your view, for shaping everything from today’s crumbling school system and underfunded NHS to the housing crisis, fraying social safety net, and punitive criminal justice policies.
Yet for many Conservatives, Thatcher is not just a historical figure, she’s a saintly idol. And nowhere is that more obvious than in some of the more eyebrow-raising tributes Tory politicians have paid over the years.
Here are some of the most cringe-inducing Thatcher worship moments from Tory MPs:
Jacob Rees-Mogg: Thatcher fan at 12 years old
In 2021, a video resurfaced of a 12-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg professing his undying love for money, Margaret Thatcher, and his own future political ambitions.
The clip, originally aired on French TV in 1982, features young Jacob earnestly praising the Iron Lady:
“She is getting Britain out of the recession, she is cutting public sector borrowing requirement, she is reducing inflation, she is reducing unemployment.”
Other gems include him proudly sporting a ‘Love Maggie’ badge, claiming he first became interested in money when a distant cousin gave him £50, and condemning a Glasgow by-election result as ‘disgraceful.’
Priti Patel: Thatcher on a mug
Priti Patel has never been shy about her Thatcher adoration. At this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, she was seen grinning with a mug adorned with the Iron Lady’s image.
She once gushed of Thatcher: “She had a unique ability to understand what made people tick, households tick and businesses tick. Managing the economy, balancing the books and making decisions – not purchasing things the country couldn’t afford.”
And on Thatcher’s 99th birthday last year, the shadow foreign secretary tweeted:
“Today Margaret Thatcher would have turned 99 years old. The Iron Lady’s conviction to the advancement of freedom, enterprise and aspiration is unmatched and her dedication to public service continues to inspire. We remember the legacy she left and continue to build upon her struggle to change Britain for the better.”
Robert Jenrick: daughter’s middle name is Thatcher
At last year’s Tory conference, Robert Jenrick caused audible gasps when he revealed his daughter’s middle name is, yes, Thatcher.
“She [his daughter] was born the year that Margaret Thatcher died,” he explained: “As you know, I respect strong women. In fact, everyone is female at my house.
“I’ve got three daughters, my wife and two dogs, who are both female. I thought it was a good way of reminding her of a great prime minister.”
Sajid Javid: Thatcher’s kindred spirit
During his 2019 leadership campaign, Sajid Javid invoked Thatcher’s name to draw a comparison between their upbringings. Highlighting his father’s life as a shopkeeper, Javid told an audience at the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS):
“My story and Margaret Thatcher’s story, that link to small business, is of course a story for countless people, millions of people throughout our country.”
No doubt the words went down well at the CPS, which was founded by Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher in 1974. The right-wing think-tank was responsible for developing the bulk of the policy agenda that became known as Thatcherism.
Thatcher herself once said the CPS was, “where our conservative revolution began,” and it was, by implementing its policies, “that we gradually restored the confidence and reputation of our country.”
While many a Tory still view the Iron Lady as their guiding light, for much of the public, the idea of naming your child after her, sipping tea from a mug with her face on, or idolising her as a 12-year-old banker-in-training doesn’t just seem out of touch, it’s downright bizarre.
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