Theresa May 'is no Margaret Thatcher', says David Mellor
The former cabinet minister, who served under Mrs Thatcher for four years, said she "knew what she wanted to do and did it".
Sunday 18 December 2016 20:06, UK
David Mellor has told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan that describing Theresa May as a new Margaret Thatcher would be "about as wide of the mark as it can possibly be".
The former cabinet minister, who served under Mrs Thatcher for four years, said she "knew what she wanted to do and did it".
He said he did not believe the same of Mrs May.
Speaking about Mrs Thatcher, he said: "For all her many faults - and I was her youngest minister for four years and she treated me with even more disrespect than my mother did - but you know, Margaret Thatcher knew what she wanted to do and did it.
"I don't think Theresa May does know what she wants to do, which is why her advisers appear to be the ones that create the headlines.
"And I think she's sitting there and she's in firmer purpose - but she needs to seize the initiative and the main initiative she needs to seize is to have a general election, get herself a mandate.
"Because the stupid thing about these trade unionists is this: I don't know whether they get their brains from the frozen peas section of supermarkets. Why are they doing this? If the Government is pushed too far, are the public really going to elect Corbyn?
"It's just exactly like the winter of discontent… where a Labour government was brought down and destroyed."