Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry was Lady Thatcher’s personal aide during the October 1974 General Election campaign.

He then worked with Abingdon MP and shadow Northern Ireland secretary Airey Neave on Mrs Thatcher’s campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party in the spring of 1975.

When Mrs Thatcher became leader in 1975 he joined her private office as the link between her and the “Britain and Europe” campaign where he was given the sobriquet “Keeper of the Hairspray”.

Sir Tony then became a minister in her Government at the Department of Energy in January 1990 and is one of the last few MPs who was appointed a minister by Baroness Thatcher. Here he pays tribute to his former boss.

I WAS very privileged to have had the opportunity of working personally for Margaret Thatcher as her personal aide in the October 1974 General Election and then subsequently as a member of her private office for a while and in due course as a junior minister in her Government.

Although Margaret will always be known as the “Iron Lady”, in private she was incredibly kind and invariably took time out to write personal letters and notes of encouragement and condolence to colleagues.

Margaret Thatcher will stand out as one of the great post-war Prime Ministers and someone who always sought to put Britain’s interests first and who sought to ensure that the Government stood up for those who worked hard and wanted to get on.

She never forgot she was a shop keeper’s daughter from Grantham and she never forgot her parents’ values of hard work, making the household budget balance and a strong Christian commitment. Margaret Thatcher had an outstanding intellect.

She was both a successful chemistry graduate from Oxford and an extremely competent barrister at the tax Bar. These disciplines ensured she had both an extremely good analytical mind and a fine eye for detail which meant that she always succeeded in speedily mastering complex briefing.

I think it was a privilege for everyone who worked with her to be able to experience that indefatigable energy and outstanding intellect.

Margaret Thatcher was probably at her best when taking on great causes whether sorting out Britain in the aftermath of the Winter of Discontent or negotiating for Britain’s rebate with the European Union or winning back the Falkland Islands.

It was very sad that Baroness Thatcher had been so poorly for such a long time. It was a very cruel way in which to have to live her last years and I think many of us now will quietly remember her, her children and her grandchildren in our prayers.