Best of the Spectator Coffee House Shots: Thatcher & Reagan's special relationship
Oct 17, 2025
Charles Moore, biographer of Margaret Thatcher, and Peggy Noonan, former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, dive into the unique bond between two iconic leaders. They explore how shared ideals and temperaments united them, despite rifts over nuclear disarmament and military interventions like Grenada and the Falklands. Their authentic connections to the public and commitment to defeating the Soviet Union are highlighted, along with the enduring lessons of their partnership for modern leadership and transatlantic relations.
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Complementary Leaders Created Powerful Bond
- Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher shared deep ideological sympathy and mutual relief at finding a like-minded leader abroad.
- Their complementary temperaments (Thatcher intense, Reagan relaxed) amplified their political partnership and effectiveness.
Leverage Outsider Perspective Effectively
- Use your outsider background to identify problems insiders miss and speak plainly to voters about them.
- Cultivate authenticity from humble roots to connect with 'normal nobodies' and translate policy into lived experience.
Shared Goal Overrode Nuclear Disagreement
- Reagan and Thatcher disagreed sharply on nuclear strategy, with Thatcher favouring deterrence and Reagan seeking disarmament.
- Their shared goal of defeating the Soviet Union without fighting allowed them to contain the disagreement constructively.