You see, I divide MPs into two categories, regardless of the their party, the sign posts and the weather-cocks. The sign-post puts out his hand, you don’t have to take the advice, but if you come back in ten years’ time the sign post is still there; the weather-cock hasn’t got an opinion until he’s studied the polls, looked at the focus groups, talked to the… I’ve no time for weather-cocks — and Mrs Thatcher was a sign-post: I thought her sign-post pointed in the wrong direction, but at least you knew where you were with her…

Could there be a political party which was composed entirely of “sign-posts”? And if even if it could, would that be desirable?

Suggested reading

• James Naughtie. ‘Heroes of Hansard‘
• Obituaries in Guardian, Telegraph, New York Times