Sir Larry and the Iron Lady

The drastic image change that allowed Margaret Thatcher to cement her rise to power was made possible by one of the country’s great thespians. Tim Walker recounts the story

- Tim Walker

Prime ministers know better than anyone that it isn't just what you say but the way you say it. And some people need more help than others. For every Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, shovelling charm and charisma in spades, there is a John Major or Keir Starmer, whose presentation skills feel more PowerPoint than powerful. This is where the experts come in.

Recently, it was revealed that Starmer had sought the help of former Royal Shakespeare Company actress Leonie Mellinger. And, of course, one of the most famous political transformations of all time was that of Margaret Thatcher, who made it her mission to change her voice – once deemed too harsh to be included in a party-political broadcast. While her metamorphosis into the polished Iron Lady who stood on the steps of No 10 looking and sounding like a leader is well known, how she got there has long been shrouded in mystery – especially the role played by one of Britain’s greatest actors.

In her early days in the Commons, Thatcher was shrill, awkward, and unprepossessing. As an ambitious education secretary, she knew she had a problem and wanted to do something about it.

Of course, all senior politicians want the public to believe that what they see is what they get, but in the television age, that is seldom, if ever, possible. Thatcher and her inner circle were, however, far better at keeping the secret than Starmer’s team. It is only relatively recently that the full debt Thatcher owed to her own illustrious acting coach – Laurence Olivier – has become clear.