Geoffrey Howe, Former Conservative Chancellor, Dies Aged 88

[mikey4444]

Mentioned indirectly on another thread ::::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34495827

" His resignation speech in 1990 is widely seen as a key factor in Baroness Thatcher's downfall as prime minister "

[Canary42]

But the late Denis Healey in 1978 claimed an attack from Howe was "like being savaged by a dead sheep".

[Jackdaw33]

He was Brutus to Margaret Thatcher's Caesar. I cannot mourn his passing.

[mikey4444]

I'm struggling as well Jack !

[Gromit]

He was a pretty hopeless Chancellor

- Company earnings decline 35%.
- Unemployment rises from 5.3% of the working population in August 1979 to 11.9% in 1984. The highest in 50 years.
- Annual inflation was 18.0% in 1980
- Interest rates peaked at 17.0% in 1980

Probably why he is best known for Healey's quote about than his Chancellorship.

[mikey4444]

I recall my mortgage rate was 16% under Howe !

[mikey4444]

The famous resignation speech !

[jno]

my pay rises were 20% under Howe, so no complaints there; but I always thought he was essentially doing Thatcher's bidding, at least in the early years.

[mikey4444]

Today's Tory Party could do worse than listen to this speech, especially in the run up to the in/out Referendum !

[Sqad]

Gromit

- Company earnings decline 35%.
- Unemployment rises from 5.3% of the working population in August 1979 to 11.9% in 1984. The highest in 50 years.
- Annual inflation was 18.0% in 1980
- Interest rates peaked at 17.0% in 1980

All very, very true....all set up surely for a Labour victory.

Who won?..........the Conservatives! in 1990.

[Gromit]

Sqad,

The first few years of the first Thatcher Government were very shakey. She was very low in popularity ratings and we were in a recession and had the terrible record highlighted above.

Then in 1982 we emphatically won a war against the odds. In the wave of the 'Falklands Factor', the Conservatives called an early snap election and won despite their terrible record. It was helped somewhat by Labour being in complete disarry and unelectable.

[Jackdaw33]

1992 actually, Sqad.

[jourdain2]

I'm with the 'Et tu Brutus' people. He crucified us financially with the mortgage rate when we were struggling to raise children. However, he was probably a good man and loved his family so - R.I.P..

[Sqad]

Jackdaw...thanks...;-).........I wondered who would pick up my "deliberate mistake."

[mikey4444]

I have just found out that he was born about 5 miles away from where I am living now !

[Gromit]

Abergreatesthits?

[tonyav]

Born in Port Talbot, and a tory !

[mikey4444]

Not the only one Tony....Heseltine was a Swansea boy !

[Quizmonster]

Howe's response to Healey's 'dead sheep' comment was that an attack by the latter was like "being nuzzled by an old boar." Rather pathetic by comparison, I feel. However, one has to admire his resignation-speech remark about two opening batsmen going to the crease only to find that the team captain had broken their bats. Thatcher was the 'team captain' he was referring to!

[jno]

the double meaning of boar was quite good, I thought.