The questions that must be answered before the Telegraph civil war can come to an end.(source for Britain's Sunday Telegraph denies story)

Publication: Spectator

Publication Date: 28-JUL-01

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COPYRIGHT 2001 The Spectator Ltd. (UK)

Since I wrote last week about the Thatcher-Portillo affair, there have been several fascinating developments, and a great deal more ink has been spilt on the matter. Readers will recall that the Sunday Telegraph had suggested in its front-page splash on 15 July that Lady Thatcher was supporting Michael Portillo in the Tory leadership contest, only to have its story almost immediately denied by the Lady herself.

Now Charles Powell, identified by myself and others as the Sunday Telegraph's source, has told the London Evening Standard that he played no such role. At the same time it has been reported by two other newspapers that there exists a tape in which Lord Powell can be heard suggesting that Lady Thatcher does favour Mr Portillo. Most interesting of all, a theory has emerged that the Baroness did back Mr P. until the moment she saw the story. According to this view, she changed her mind about the Spanish One not over a period of several weeks, as I suggested in my piece last week, but within a few hours. The...

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