Douglas Hurd, former Foreign Secretary, is now a man of letters. He was talking about his biography of Disraeli at the Jewish Literary Festival yesterday but proving that history provides a great comparison for modern politics. Lord Hurd could not resist a dig at his old boss Mrs Thatcher: “When Disraeli was asked how he learned how to deal with Queen Victoria, he replied, ‘I don’t contradict. I don’t argue. But sometimes I forget’. I found that helpful advice when dealing with powerful ladies in politics,” he said.
But he also used the 19th-century PM to assess the modern political landscape. “Boris is the closest we have to a Disraeli but Disraeli’s wit was effective because his face stayed impassive. The trouble with Boris is that he has the habit of laughing loudly at his own jokes.”
