It wasn’t a lot a gathering of the Thatcher clan, as a result of there aren’t lots of her cupboard ministers from the Eighties nonetheless round nowadays.
However the majority of the Tory grandees who gathered at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Suffolk for the funeral of her most loyal ally, Norman Tebbit, have been certainly Thatcher devotees.
Paying tribute to the politician referred to as “the first Brexiteer” and “the grandfather of Brexit” have been Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mark Francois, former 1922 Committee chairman Lord Graham Brady and Liz Truss’s deputy PM Therese Coffey.
From the Thatcher years was the novelist and Tory cheerleader Jeffrey Archer together with his spouse Mary, John Gummer, now Lord Deben, who was Tory chairman within the mid ’80s, and the husband and spouse political duo Neil and Christine Hamilton.
However there was no signal of Lord Tebbit’s outdated foes over Europe, comparable to Thatcher cupboard massive beasts Lord Michael Heseltine or Lord Kenneth Clarke, or Tory leaders with whom he clashed over Europe, comparable to Sir John Main and Lord David Cameron.
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The coffin of Lord Norman Tebbit arriving at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds
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Lord Jeffrey Archer, former Tory MP and novelist. Pic: PA
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Members of the family have been seen arriving for Lord Tebbit’s funeral. Pic: PA
Usually, given Lord Tebbit’s robustly held, uncompromising beliefs and values, his funeral was a service that was conventional and patriotic. Girl Thatcher would undoubtedly have authorized.
It started with Elgar’s stirring Nimrod from the Enigma Variations and the hymns included the Cup Remaining anthem Abide with Me and I Vow to Thee, My Nation, to the music from Holst’s The Planets.
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Lord Tebbit’s successor as MP for Chingford, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who attended together with his spouse Betsy, gave the primary studying, the scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet through which Laertes says goodbye to his sister Ophelia.
When he left the Commons in 1992, Lord Tebbit famously mentioned of his successor, who went on to grow to be Tory chief from 2001 to 2003: “If you think I’m right-wing, you should meet this guy.”
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The order of service
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Senior Tory Sir Graham Brady. Pic: PA
One among Baroness Thatcher’s favorite enterprise tycoons, the previous P&O boss and main Tory donor Lord Jeffrey Sterling, learn The Lord’s My Shepherd, earlier than Lord Tebbit’s kids, William, Alison and John, shared some household reflections.
The eulogy was delivered by Lord Michael Dobbs, finest referred to as the writer of the Nineties TV political blockbuster Home of Playing cards, however earlier than then an influential Tory insider, working for each Baroness Thatcher and Lord Tebbit.
He labored for Baroness Thatcher when she was opposition chief from 1975-79 and was a particular adviser to Lord Tebbit on the departments of employment after which commerce and commerce and business, and his chief of employees when he was Tory chairman.
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Senior Tory MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith (centre) and Mark Francois (proper). Pic: PA
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Former Tory atmosphere secretary Lord Deben (John Gummer ). Pic: PA
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Former Tory Brexit alternatives minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Pic: PA
The service ended with references to Lord Tebbit’s youth within the RAF, earlier than he turned a industrial pilot, with the Final Put up performed by an RAF Central Band trumpeter after which the official RAF March.
After the service, Lord Dobbs described Lord Tebbit as “a giant, an inspiring leader”, whereas Lord Archer mentioned he was “above all, loyal”, including: “Loyalty was his passion.”
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Former Tory MP and ex-UKIP chief Neil Hamilton and his spouse, Christine. Pic: PA
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Therese Coffey, Deputy PM below Liz Truss. Pic: PA
Sir Iain mentioned Lord Tebbit was his mentor all through the early a part of his political profession and mentioned: “He was a tough competitor, but the beauty of it that came out was he had a real soft heart and was kind and had many friends on all sides of the House.”
