‘French Maggie’ attack on PM

FRANCE’S Socialist Prime Minister was attacked yesterday – by being described as a ‘fuddy-duddy’ version of Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair.

Manuel Valls was criticised by Cecile Duflot, who until recently was his housing minister, over his attempts to woo business. ‘Imitating Thatcher in 2014 – it’s very sad,’ said the Green Party politician in a newspaper interview. ‘The value of a company is also created by its workers.

‘To be modern, does not mean being a Blairite-Thatcherism fuddy-duddy.’

The Socialists came to power in 2012 after President Francois Hollande said he ‘disliked’ big business but there has since been a change of tack as France struggles with record unemployment and a stagnant economy.

Baroness Thatcher is widely admired in France’s business community, while Mr Blair is praised for rejecting Socialist dogma and backing enterprise.