London came to a standstill yesterday as the funeral of the former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, took place.
There is no doubt that she was one of the most important leaders of my country and I am grateful for the many messages I have received from her admirers across the UAE.
As the UK Ambassador to the UAE, I hope it is appropriate for me to express gratitude for the warm messages of condolence from President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. I know my counterparts from all corners of the world have been equally touched by the messages they received from their hosts.
Baroness Thatcher was honoured by a ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in the centre of London. This included gun carriage and military procession involving members of the armed forces.
This is an amazing tribute as in recent history, the passing of only two other Britons — princess Diana and the Queen Mother — have been marked in this way. Guests at the funeral included political leaders and dignitaries from all over the globe.
Also in attendance were Baroness Thatcher’s family, friends and former staff, Her Majesty The Queen, Prime Minister David Cameron, former prime ministers, the Lord Mayor of London, parliamentarians and others.
All this points to a woman who — in one way or another — touched the lives of many in the UK and around the globe. The first and only female British prime minister, she was a powerful and defining figure in British politics and a woman of true courage. She led my country with great determination and was one of the landmark figures of the 20th century.
Growing up as one of “Thatcher’s children”, she was an important figure in my formative years at school and university. I think I first learnt the art of political debate at a school competition where my team argued in favour of the Falklands war. We won the debate!
Lady Thatcher was the dominant force in British politics and I remember the style with which she led the Conservative Party, the Commons and the country.
I know her style was not everyone’s cup of tea — people would say the same about mine — but one thing that I believe we can all agree on is that she fought for what she believed was right for Britain and I admire such determination.
Thatcher was tough in the face of adversity and it can be argued that “self-reliance” and “success through hard work” are attributes that were redefined under her.
Moreover, a strong foreign affairs posture was central to Lady Thatcher’s outlook and as someone who deals with foreign policy on a daily basis, I believe that is something we need in leaders across the world today.
And being based in a very business-oriented country like the UAE, I may point out that Thatcher’s desire to promote free enterprise, opportunity for all and competition resonate well with this part of the world.
In my opinion, no prime minister in living memory has had such a far reaching influence on the social landscape and that is why I feel it is so important to stop and think about the achievements of Lady Thatcher today and I am honoured that so many Emiratis have clearly done that.
Dominic Jermey is the British Ambassador to the UAE.
