Margaret Thatcher’s biographer claims John Major was the ‘most skilful actor’ in her fall, 30 years ago

Three decades ago, after a week of turmoil, the longest-serving postwar prime minister left office, writes John Rentoul

Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis celebrating her 10 years as Conservative Party leader at 10 Downing Street, February 1985 (Getty Images)

Charles Moore, Margaret Thatcher’s authorised biographer, came to King’s College London on Wednesday to talk about her downfall, 30 years ago this week. He came, that is, by video apparition from his book-lined study, to attend a virtual session of the Strand Group, the centre for contemporary history at King’s. 

In conversation with Jon Davis, the director of the Strand Group, Lord Moore discussed what he learned from writing the third volume of his biography, Herself Alone, the paperback edition of which has just been published. 

Lord Moore recalled seeing Mrs Thatcher “not long after she left office”, and she said she was writing her memoirs. He asked: “What are you going to call them?” And she said: “Undefeated.” Which she was. “She won every single general election when she was leader, and she won the leadership election which caused her to resign. People forget that, but she won it,” said Moore.