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Show Thursday, December 6, 1990 The Daily Utah Chronicle - Page Four Speaker calls Thatcher's ' 'en'terSaiomen-Jend an American audience than the average British political upheaval which probably doesn't matter to you at all in terms of what happens and why." Part of the reason Thatcher's resignation was so interesting to the press and the general public was that her strong character was recognized around the world, he said. "Why it happened is of some interest because Mrs. Thatcher was, after all, and still is one of the most formidable politicians around anywhere." The suddenness of her loss of power was also a surprise to many, he said. "From our point of view, from the time things started going badly wrong for Mrs. Thatcher to the time that she was moving her things out of 10 Downing Street Susan Williams Chronicle Staff Writer By Margaret Thatcher's fall from her position as prime minister in Great Britain has been more interesting and more entertaining than many similar events, a speaker said Wednesday at the International Center. "As far as we were concerned, in our country, this political coup, this party coup, that overthrew Mrs. Thatcher, last week was extremely entertaining. I don't mean entertaining in the sense that we enjoyed seeing her go, although that's also true, but entertaining as a piece of political theater," Richard Mason, director of the International Division at the University of Cambridge said. This coup became theatrical in the sense that journalists used many theatrical metaphors and allusions, he said. was about ten days. And the election campaign which brought her successor, John Major, into all this, was five days, which in American terms, must be good The situation was also discussed in terms of the sport m.- ,, v y,' ''"4' i-i- i ." I; . States found interest in the Carpenter The fall of Margaret Thatcher as prime minister was sudden provided entertainment in the media, Richard Mason, director of the International Division at University of Cambridge. Include, your election said. "This whole system, the parliamentary system, is said to on a mysterious operate commodity called loyalty or downfall of Thatcher, he said. CHRONICLE PHOTOCamron where campaigns go on for at least two years, if not four years." Part of that surprise stemmed from the quick loss of support from Thatcher's own party, he said. "The fact that she was actually overthrown very quickly, very easily, by her colleagues in, apparently, an amazing display of disloyalty is curious, I think." The British political system depends on this loyalty, too, he cricket, he added. "So the whole thing is very fun and sporting and very fun and theatrical in what's been going on." Colorful language and imagery describing "blood, people falling on their swords, firing squads, massacres" pervaded the media, he said. Even people in the United Ik: a news "This business, the fall of Thatcher, made the front of Time magazine last week, so I imagine it must have slightly more interest to confidence. The idea is the party has confidence in the leader, parliament has confidence in the party, and the whole system runs on this kind of invisible steam that keeps it going." In the case of Thatcher, loyalty had "evaporated" and the party had lost confidence in her, he said. "The members of parliament, in her case, elected her as the arty leader, and being party eader she became prime minister. What happened in the literal sense was her party decided they didn't want her to be their party leader anymore, so she ceased to become party leader and became minister." This kind of political system differs greatly from that of the United States, he said, because prime ministers cannot function without the support of their party, while President Bush can still preside with his party having a minority in Congress. The systems are also different in ex-pri- that the people of the United States all get to vote on their president, but the British prime minister is chosen by the 372 members of the Conservative party. Thatcher's public popularity had been decreasing despite the challenge within her own party, he said. "The root cause of her problems recently has to do with electability in public opinion polls." Her popularity may have seemed greater from a distance than it was in Britain, he said. The high inflation, unemployment rates and poll tax created a lot of discontent in her country. nr I 68 pQ ft of 111 cms scMMh m&tm&0- L ' - I " ill 7 P' Wi DIE HIEML Featuring: The Lady Utes Against n Stanford JUJ Stanford University Saturday, Dec. 8 7:30 p.m. Huntsman Center Weber State Friday, Dec. 7 7:30 p.m. Huntsman Center Call 501 -- DTIH University of Utah students, faculty and staff admitted free with university I.D. Students, faculty and staff can also bring one guest for free. Lady Utes are coming off a 20-1- 0 record and a trip to the NCAA tournament last year. Last week, the Lady Utes defeated No. 12 ranked Vanderbilt. Come out and cheer the Lady Utes on as they shoot for a national The ranking. A y InHl (o) (D CJDancingv Starts Early! P (o I n) (c C II W lo) Dancim Starts Earl y! i |
