Major was 'a ghastly' Prime Minister

Sir Denis Thatcher described John Major as a "ghastly" Prime Minister in an interview given a few months before his death, it has been disclosed.

And he said that if Major had lost the 1992 general election "we wouldn't have had the disaster we've got now".

Sir Denis, who died in June aged 88, spoke out, too, about the "treachery" which brought about his wife's downfall, in a televised interview with his daughter Carol on October 15 last year.

The interview provides the dominant feature of a tinctures-and-all close-up film about Sir Denis to be broadcast on Channel 4 on Sunday. It is called "Married to Maggie: Denis Thatcher's Story".

Sir Denis spoke too about his meetings with US Presidents' wives - "I never took any liberties, you know, I wasn't trying to get off with them" - about his first meeting with his wife-to-be - "nice-looking woman, always has been" - and their twins, Carol and Mark - "they haven't been bad, bless their golden hearts, they've been a damn nuisance from time to time but, by and large we are very proud of our children who have done very well".

Sir Denis recalled that in 1990, he told his wife it was time for her to leave 10, Downing Street.

"I think she was ready to go. Not to be kicked out. To say, 'I've had enough, I want to hand over'. And go at the top. Undefeated."

But she did not go. And when he heard the result of the first ballot when she was challenged by Michael Heseltine - she won but not by enough votes to avoid a potentially disastrous second ballot - he said, although not to her: "Don't do this again. Get out!"

Asked why he had not said it to her, he replied: "She might have thought I was undermining her position. She might have thought I had not the ability to stand firm. I don't know. But I didn't. But I could see it coming."

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