Conservative Future members owe a great deal to both Ronald Reagan and Lady Thatcher for what they achieved. Whether they were fighting the tyranny of Communism or laying the foundations of good, solid, traditional Conservative principles – both shone on the world stage and made the special relationship truly special.
Today, outside the American Embassy for the unveiling of the Ronald Reagan statue, we were reminded of the battles that these great leaders fought on our behalf. It was moving to see Condoleezza Rice, the 66th Secretary of State for the USA and William Hague, current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for the UK standing shoulder to shoulder, signifying the strong bond between our two countries today. Before the unveiling of the statue began Hague stated how “honoured” he was to personally take part in a ceremony “for a man who changed the political landscape at the time when I first became involved in it.”
Unfortunately Lady Thatcher was unable to attend due to health reasons but Hague read out the following words on her behalf: “Ronald Reagan was a great President and a great man - a true leader for our times. He held clear principles and acted upon them with purpose. Through his strength and his conviction he brought millions of people to freedom as the Iron Curtain finally came down. It was a pleasure to be his colleague and his friend and I hope that this statue will be a reminder to future generations of the debt we owe him.”
A big thank you to the The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation for inviting us to this very special and memorable occasion. Whatever the challenges ahead, today we were reminded that the special relationship will endure and that Britain and America have a shared history and unbreakable bond.
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