Election drama 1987

Sir – Lord Young of Graffham (Features, June 12) wrote of “lastminute moves that saved her [Thatcher’s] 1987 election”.

He writes that he grabbed me by the shoulders and said; “Norman, listen to me. We’re about to lose this f---ing election.” I certainly remember his excited concern, which I did not share.

More objectively, in The Times Guide to the House of Commons, June 1987, Robert Worcester of Mori wrote: “The Conservative Party was never in any serious danger” (of losing the election).

On its next page, the Poll of Polls shows that the Conservative rating never fell below 40 per cent, nor did the Labour rating ever rise above

37 per cent, leading to a final result of Conservative 43 per cent and Labour 32 per cent – a swing to the Conservatives of 2.5 per cent.

My recollection is that Lord Young had been in America in the initial stage of the election where the UK election might not have been well reported.

Lord Tebbit (Con) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk