Now that you’re watching, everybody...

As cameras rolled into the Commons, Margaret Thatcher was carefully tutored in how best to put across her formidable personality

MARGARET THATCHER was advised not to shout over hecklers and to stop her habit of leaning on her left elbow if she wanted to put one over Labour leader Neil Kinnock when cameras first broadcast from the House of Commons.

Antony Jay, one of the writers of acclaimed political satire was even brought into the Whips’ office to give ministers a pep talk.

Newly released documents from the National Archives reveal how Tory MP Roger Gale became her unofficial television adviser in the weeks before the cameras went live nearly 30 years ago. Mr Gale, who at the time was a member of the House of Commons broadcasting committee, was a known critic of the decision to allow cameras to start filming in November 1989. However, as a former news and current affairs director at Thames Television and the BBC, he offered advice to Mrs Thatcher.

In a letter dated Sept 18, Mr Gale told the prime minister he had been “monitoring the installation” of the cameras over that summer’s recess. Mr Gale then sought to guide Mrs Thatcher about how to make sure her first appearances were a success.

Ministers should address all comments through the Speaker – as was common practice – “favouring either Camera 1 (profile) or Camera 2 (straight to camera)”, he said.

Ministers had to stop turning to face Government backbenchers behind them when answering questions or they risked “being caught ‘off-camera’ at important moments”. They should also only speak “at microphone level and “never seek to ‘top’ heckling from the Opposition: this may work in the Chamber but will sound – and look – strident on television”.

Mr Gale also warned Mrs Thatcher against inadvertently turning her back on the Speaker. He said: “Leaning on the customary left arm on the Dispatch Box will present the appearance of a back to the Speaker and weaken the authority of the minister. Ministers will need to learn to lean on the right arm when reading notes!”

Finally Mr Gale advised Mrs Thatcher to look over the head of the then Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock if she wanted to appear to be eyeballing him. “The camera angle on the front benches is fairly acute,” he said. “To gain the impression of looking the opponent – Leader of the Opposition or Spokesman – in the eye, it may be necessary to ‘cheat’ the eyeline over the head to Camera 2.”

But, he added: “The latter may look artificial, however – and Camera 1 may prove to be more useful to ministers.”

Mr Gale – the Conservative MP for Thanet North who was knighted in 2012 – said this weekend that he remembered writing the letter “extremely well”, but was surprised that it was in the national archives.

He told “It was a private letter. The assistance I was able to give Margaret Thatcher is between her and me. She was painstaking and extremely attentive.”

Mrs Thatcher replied a few days later that Mr Gale’s suggestions were “always extremely helpful and I do look forward to your updated technical assessment once we have seen a bit how it works”. In her own hand, she added: “Clearly ministers will have to change their normal habits in replying to questions, quite a lot.”

Weeks later, on Oct 5, Mrs Thatcher attended the Commons for a filmed dry run, with the microphones turned off. A note in the archives dated Oct 6 from Dominic Morris, a private secretary, suggested that she might ask her personal assistant Cynthia ‘Crawfie’ Crawford to watch the video with her “to help with ideas on clothes”.

Weeks later, the House of Commons turned on the cameras but allowed the videos to be viewed by Mrs Thatcher and Mr Kinnock.

Reviewing an exchange with Mr Kinnock the day before, Mr Morris told her in a note dated Oct 27 – copied to her press secretary Bernard Ingham – that “the pitch of voice is just right as is eye level and stance (Mr Kinnock appears to have rather more to learn)”.

He added that he was surprised Margaret Thatcher leans on her right elbow as she is pictured on camera for the first time in the Commons in Nov 1989 by “the extent to which television sanitises the proceedings of the Chamber. It takes out a great deal of the passion”. This meant there was a “premium on calm debaters” and it was important that Tory frontbenchers were more animated in their support for the prime minister, copying an example set by the then Cabinet minister Ken Baker.

Mr Morris also arranged for Jay to present “30-second clips of good and bad ministerial performances” to a group of ministers. Mrs Thatcher agreed to attend the meeting on Nov 9.

The cameras finally broadcast from the House of Commons chamber on Nov 21. ‘The pitch of voice is just right as is eye level and stance (Mr Kinnock appears to have rather more to learn)’