Quote of the Day
"Thatcherites are sometimes accused of having a lust for power and described as 'authoritarian'. But the term fits only if derived (as it generally is not) from the strict sense of 'authority' - the right (as opposed to the power or strength) to take certain decisions. Because according to the constitutional procedures of Britain, the right to take certain decisions belongs to the elected government, Thatcherites regard the handing over of such decisions to 'partnerships' with non-governmental groups as a dereliction of duty. In their conception of government, the authority of the Prime Minister, other Ministers and officials is given to them by the electorate and can be removed only by the electorate. And this conviction that the electorate as a whole and not any one part of it ought to decide whether the government has done the right thing is what makes Thatcherites averse to letting governmental decisions be shaped by whatever interest makes the loudest noise or threatens the most trouble. The Thatcherite insistence on doing 'the right thing' is thus the very opposite of a lust for power because it follows from a strong sense for the distinction between right and might and a lively awareness of whom the law has authorized to do what." - Shirley Letwin, The Anatomy of Thatcherism
