Thatcher celebrates 80th birthday

Baroness Thatcher, who turned 80 yesterday, celebrated with a lavish reception. The party was attended by the Queen and 670 people from politics, sport, industry, the arts, showbusiness and many other walks of life. Tony Blair and Michael Howard were among scores of politicians – friend and foe alike – who attended the reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near London’s Hyde Park. But Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, was not invited. It later emerged that only two of the four contenders for the Tory leadership had been invited, David Davis and Liam Fox.

It was pointed out that Lady Thatcher did not even know David Cameron and that she and Kenneth Clarke had had “their differences”. A surprise guest at the reception was Lord Archer and his wife Mary. Lady Thatcher has maintained her friendship with the couple despite his conviction for perjury.