Margaret Thatcher liked to nap in her official Jaguar Daimler car, Government files reveal
The former PM's aides were concerned that she may be injured if the driver had to break suddenly so custom headrests were fitted
MARGARET Thatcher liked to nap in the back of her official car, newly-released files reveal.
Aides were so worried the former PM could suffer an injury if the Daimler was forced to brake that they had a custom-built headrest fitted to protect her.
In September 1987, No10 official Bob Kingston wrote to inform her private office: “I am concerned that, when the PM dozes in the official car, the design of the headrests is such that, far from supporting her head and neck, they cause her head to drop forward.
She agreed to the matter of a better design of headrest being pursued.”
The documents released by the National Archives in Kew also reveal fears at Jaguar Daimler that Mrs Thatcher’s successor John Major might replace the armoured Daimler.
He had a knee injury and found the car too cramped.
Maggie's food raid
MRS Thatcher wanted to raid Europe’s food supplies, according to the files.
She was told in 1979 that the previous Labour Government had let emergency reserves run low, and top-ups would cost £14million.
The new PM asked the agriculture minister who owned the EEC’s “butter mountains, sugar surpluses and beef stocks”.
She added: “As most of the finance for them comes from us can we not claim title to some of it?”
But she was told they would probably only be released in emergencies.
The official Rovers used by the Government Car Service were “definitely more roomy” and Major jumped at the prospect of a “stretched” version.
Gavin Thompson at Jaguar Daimler wrote to an MP, warning it would deal a “catastrophic blow” to the company.
Rolls-Royce sensed an opportunity and offered No10 three Bentley Mulsanne S at a “nominal” price of £10,000 each, compared with a list price of £80,000.
But concerns over Mr Major’s down-to-earth image being hit meant the offer was not accepted.
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Money fiasco 'anxiety'
THE efforts of John Major’s Government to disguise the cost of 1992’s Black Wednesday financial fiasco were laid bare in the official papers.
Chancellor Norman Lamont had been under pressure to reveal how much of the foreign currency reserves were used to prop up the Pound.
Files show he was “increasingly anxious” about hiding the figure.
The final cost was £3.3billion and Sterling crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Interest rates hit 15 per cent, dealing a blow to the Tories’ reputation.
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