IRON LADY’S STEELY RESPONSE

IN THE Spectator diary marigold Johnson, whose author husband Paul celebrated his 90th birthday last week, recalled an icy exchange with lady thatcher.

they were alone in the drawing room of Grade II-listed Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador’s imposing residence in Regent’s Park, london.

‘What a treat to be here in this lovely house for dinner,’ ventured marigold, to which lady t tersely replied: ‘When I get up, I don’t think about treats. I think about the work for the day.’

THE good news for shadow Home Secretary Diane ‘Abacus’ Abbott is that in a YouGov poll of the shadow cabinet she enjoyed 82 per cent voter recognition. It’s the second highest figure after Comrade Corbyn on 96 per cent. The bad news is that she has the worst net approval rating, at minus 42 per cent.

JOKE OF THE WEEK: ‘Why did President Donald Trump reject the peace offering of two African wildebeest from U.S. channel CNN? Because he said they were ‘fake gnus’.

IN A discussion on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today on a new environmental watchdog post-Brexit, Labour MP Mary Creagh said: ‘If we leave the EU.’ When will these MPs accept the verdict of the referendum — not least given that it’s in her own party’s manifesto?

ADMIRABLE candour from former lib dem leader tim Farron, who says: ‘a thought. a referendum on the brexit deal looks increasingly possible, maybe even likely.

‘there is every chance, though, that Remain would lose that referendum. time to dial down on remoaning and start preparing.’