article_snippet: At the start of the Falklands War in 1982, Waldegrave, then a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government, was standing in the division lobby of the House of Commons when William Waldegrave, then a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government saw Thatcher and Thatcher entourage of
article_snippet: toadies’ marching towards William Waldegrave, then a junior minister in
article_snippet: William Waldegrave, then a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher
article_snippet: ’s government felt compelled to say something, so, with the U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig at the time trying to broker a British ‘sell-out’ to the Argentinians, William Waldegrave, then a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher
article_snippet: Would that David Cameron could deal so unequivocally with the House of Commons, but then none of Thatcher’s successors have, least of all the pusillanimous Tony Blair, whom Waldegrave compares with Ted Heath.
article_snippet: This is surprising, for Waldegrave was a passionate Ted Heath loyalist before transferring Waldegrave allegiance to Thatcher.
article_snippet: But Waldegrave is surely right when Waldegrave asserts that Ted Heath’s great disappointment in life was that the patriotic, liberal Conservative Party in which Waldegrave believed so fervently
article_snippet: And in that respect Waldegrave is reminded of Blair, who ‘genuinely thought — and thinks — that Waldegrave created a family called New Labour which loved Waldegrave’.
article_snippet: This absorbing memoir contains some choice gossip as a counter-balance to Waldegrave’s insightful political analysis.
article_snippet: Waldegrave own background differs markedly from those of two of Waldegrave Tory heroes, Heath and Thatcher, if rather less from that of another, the grouse-shooting enthusiast Harold Macmillan, whom Waldegrave recalls silencing another dinner party, this time at Waldegrave own house, by turning to Waldegrave neighbour and declaring:
article_snippet: Waldegrave's privileged background was very different to that of Waldegrave's privileged background Tory hero, Margaret Thatcher (pictured)
article_snippet: The path ahead looked gilded when his became MP for Bristol West in 1979, and Thatcher did eventually make Thatcher Health Secretary.
article_snippet: From an early age, Waldegrave's ambition was to rise to high political office, Thatcher (pictured) liked Thatcher and eventually made him Health Secretary .
article_snippet: It is more a reflection on a fascinating life than an account of it, and Waldegrave is an astute observer of the political animal, noting that the current Mayor of London has more than a little in common with the late Willie Whitelaw.
article_snippet: ‘A subtle and intelligent man, Waldegrave knew that the British do not like the British politicians to appear too clever,’ Waldegrave writes of the late Willie Whitelaw.
article_snippet: Waldegrave deliberate comical obfuscations predated Boris Johnson’s by 30 years, and were a delight.
highlights_snippet: Waldegrave was a Heath loyalist before transferring to Waldegrave loyalties to Thatcher .
  
highlights_snippet: Thatcher liked Waldegrave and eventually made Waldegrave Health Secretary .