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A Friday Thought Piece FYI
- Jul 22, 2022
- Latest News
Letter: Thatcher’s acronyms seem ready-made for new leader
From Stephen Castell, Chairman, Castell Consulting Witham, Essex, UK
Friday July 22, 2022.
It was ear-catching to hear chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke MP say in a radio interview, in explaining the current government’s uninspiring steps to try to fight inflation, “It’s as Mrs Thatcher said. ‘There is no alternative’, Tina.”
Back in the day of Margaret Thatcher, and her beloved Tina, you published my letter* explaining that it was, rather, a case of Tessa — there exist several simple alternatives.
Thatcher (unusually, and refreshingly, for a UK PM, a female scientist and lawyer) eventually had the vision and imagination to acknowledge and adopt Tessa.
The Tories’ weird “strictly” dance contest is about to deliver a new prime minister to the citizens of the UK, the great majority of whom having had no hand or consultation in this undemocratic tango.
Whoever emerges as winner will be unlikely to have a Thatcher anagram at hand (“Leadership challengers plan whirlwind campaigns to convert Tory activists”, Report, July 21). And he or she will have to answer the following questions. First, what exactly is the economic anti-inflation algorithm to which HM Treasury is currently working? What will be the comparable algorithm of the new prime minister (if different)?
Both algorithms should be published, without delay, and in detail, for citizens and experts (and Tessa), to examine and assess, and upon which to give their views.
Stephen Castell
Chairman, Castell Consulting Witham, Essex, UK
https://www.ft.com/content/15b405d2-9fd7-482f-bbdb-41e55979d34d
* Financial Times, September 20, 1985, Friday, SECTION I; Letters to the Editor; Pg. 21, ‘Tessa and Tina fight it out’.
Email: stephen@castellconsulting.com
http://www.e-expertwitness.co.uk
https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/stephen-castell/