As blogger Stephen Taylor correctly reported today — scooping all of us in the MSM — former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher met this afternoon in London with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The meeting took place in the hotel where I am typing this right now — the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in London’s West End. This is the hotel where the PM his delegation and the journalists travelling with him are staying.
Mrs. Thatcher was at the hotel for about an hour in mid-afternoon.
We started the day following Mr. Harper and his wife Laureen to 10 Downing Street. Harper arrived sharp at 8 am, followed about 30 minutes later by Laureen. The PM was met by Tony Blair; Mrs. Harper was met by Cherie Blair.
We were then escorted into 10 Downing — it’s a lot bigger inside than it seems from the outside — past black-and-white portraits of every UK prime minister since Walpole and into what’s known as the Pillared Room where, under a giant portrait of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, the prime ministers held a joint conference. Journalists were limited to four questions [read the English language transcript here], two each from the Canadian media and the British media. We asked about Israel and about climate change. The Brits asked about Israel and a growing scandal engulfing Blair and his party over party fundraising.
Harper then went to meet Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace. Their meeting was scheduled to last just 10 minutes but, apparently the Queen was enjoying the conversation enough, that they carried on their conversation for 35 minutes.
Harper is spending the rest of the day preparing to deliver a speech this evening in London to the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce.
We are overnight here in London before jetting off early tomorrow to St. Petersburg, Russia.