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Michael Heseltine's "back of the envelope" plan

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1243820. Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:46 pm

I wrote in post 1243812 :

Quote:

Michael Heseltine might have had his future career and rise to PM written out on the back of an envelope when he went to university, but it didn't exactly go to plan, did it?

Before anyone sounds a klaxon, I'm aware that Michael Heseltine has denied this story:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/nov/25/michael-heseltine-would-have-liked-prime-minister

Quote:

Central to the Heseltine mythology is the back of an envelope on which he is said to have sketched out his life's mission while still an undergraduate – by 25, become a millionaire; by 35, an MP; by 45, a minister; by 55, Downing Street. The envelope has become parliamentary shorthand for the vulgar hubris of ambition – but Heseltine doesn't think it ever existed.

"Well it's so uncharacteristic of me that I don't believe it. I've no recollection of it, and it just doesn't ring true." The source of the story was Julian Critchley, a fellow Tory MP, "And Julian was a good friend of mine, and he said this and wrote about it many times, but I've never accepted it. I just don't think it sounds like me. I'm too cautious."

It still ought to be true, though, don't you think?

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