Strangely enough she ignited something within the tory party. My Aunt, was a tory councillor for years, and was quite apalled by her - and longed for a return to the 'one nation' toryism of MacMillan and co. But the die was cast.

However what every other tory you speak to, seems to find inadequate about every subsequent leader is that they are NOT Thatcherite enough.

I go along with Richard Bridge. She was an extremely charismatic person.

And I use 'charismatic' in the sense my old sociology lecturer did - someone who changes society.

None of the other leaders available at the time (whom it has to be said she only narrowly defeated by means of dirty tricks from the Spycatcher gang) would have done things her way.

I think her biggest tragedy was that she was unable to work with the men of talent and integrity in her party - Hesseltine, John MacGregor, 'the Wets' - and she coralled alot of yesmen and no hopers to act as cyphers for for her policies Keith Joseph, Kenny Baker, Lawson, Whitelaw - absolute tripehounds the lot. So when she did go - there was a total vacuum at the top in the tory party. Also - surely better people around her would have moderated the disatrous social effects of her reign.