Although Sir Geoffrey had been a close ally of Thatcher in her early years in power, their relationship had soured. When she reshuffled her cabinet in July 1989, he was replaced in his role as foreign secretary by John Major, the up-and-coming party star. Cabinet colleague Kenneth Baker recalled to the BBC in 2019: “When she virtually sacked Geoffrey, she made him the deputy prime minister. That is a non-job, like the vice presidency of the United States… He knew he was being sidelined.”
On 30 October 1990, Thatcher unleashed one of her most infamous soundbites in parliament, letting rip against her counterparts in Europe. In response to calls from Brussels for greater central control, she declared defiantly, “No, no, no!” That was too much for Sir Geoffrey, who resigned two days later. Thatcher remained bullish, and on 12 November at the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet made a characteristically combative speech. Deploying a series of cricket metaphors, she said: “I’m still at the crease, though the bowling’s been pretty hostile of late. And in case anyone doubted it, can I assure you there will be no ducking the bouncers, no stonewalling, no playing for time? The bowling’s going to get hit all round the ground. That’s my style.”
‘I fight on; I fight to win’
The next day in parliament, Sir Geoffrey responded with his killer parting shot. Using another cricket analogy to describe Thatcher’s attitude to British negotiations in Europe, he said: “It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease, only to find… that their bats have been broken before the game by the team captain.” He continued: “The time has come for others to consider their own response to the tragic conflict of loyalties with which I have myself wrestled for perhaps too long.” This was seen as an invitation for an old adversary of Thatcher to emerge from political exile and make his power play.
Enter the man colloquially known as Tarzan. Michael Heseltine had resigned four years earlier as defence secretary in protest that Thatcher was ignoring his opinions. He acquired his nickname in 1976 when he grabbed the ceremonial mace in the House of Commons and waved it above his head. Since his departure from office, he had spent his time plotting his return. With Heseltine joining the fray, a leadership contest began.
