Mamma mia!!

August 25, 2004 7:55 AM

Mark Thatcher busted for trying to get his hands on the oil rid the world of a nasty dictator.
posted by magullo (26 comments total)

And just as Jack Straw arrrives in SA for some governmental talks. Good timing on his part...
posted by PenDevil at 7:59 AM on August 25, 2004

Please click here if the "busted" link doesn't work properly
posted by magullo at 8:00 AM on August 25, 2004

That Reuters link is dead in IE and Mozilla so here's a link to a local paper: Thatcher likely to be granted bail - lawyers
posted by PenDevil at 8:01 AM on August 25, 2004

Wow. That's remarkable. He certainly seems to have some shady business dealings in his past.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:01 AM on August 25, 2004

- embarrassing international rescue mission
- failed his accountancy exams three times
- a car racing company which developed cash problems
- controversial business dealings abroad
- an investigation into a loans scheme

could someone please explain how he came to be knighted?
posted by nylon at 8:02 AM on August 25, 2004

Another story from the SA M&G here.
posted by PenDevil at 8:04 AM on August 25, 2004

I saw Fox News' coverage of this this morning (I was trapped in the gym). They ended (without any irony) with "Thatcher's son? Trying to overthrow the Ecuadoran [sic] government? Hard to believe..."

I laughed out loud.
posted by jpoulos at 8:04 AM on August 25, 2004

Sir Mark inherited his late father's hereditary baronetcy in 2003

oh wait - he gets to be a knight of the realm because of his drunkard father?!
posted by nylon at 8:05 AM on August 25, 2004

If it wasn't his drunken father slipping Maggie a length now and again I'm sure England in the 80's would have been even more fun than it already was.

Bitch stole my milk!
posted by longbaugh at 8:18 AM on August 25, 2004

The Reuters link will work if you remove the last few characters - there's a weird character after the story ID number. It should just be:

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=571328
posted by soyjoy at 8:23 AM on August 25, 2004

This guy has managed to fuck up a lot of high profile positions. Sounds like a perfect fit for the US presidency.
posted by xmutex at 8:58 AM on August 25, 2004

Remember a few weeks back, when we thought Maggie was dead?

Ah, good times.
posted by stonerose at 9:00 AM on August 25, 2004

I can't believe that it's taken the South Africans over a month to amass sufficient evidence to hold that that worthless, odious scumbag Mark Thatcher.

Kathryn Kramer has been on the ball since March 10th. What a blog.

Longbaugh: world class.
posted by dmt at 9:02 AM on August 25, 2004

It's pouring with rain outside, but after reading this it feels like the sun is shining again. I haven't felt this happy since Jeffrey Archer got sent down.
posted by ciderwoman at 9:03 AM on August 25, 2004

Think he'll need to borrow Jonathan Aitken's "simple sword of truth and trusty shield of fair play"?

That and more, methinks!
posted by dash_slot- at 9:26 AM on August 25, 2004

Any resemblance between this and another conservative politician and his wayward son are strictly coincidental.
posted by briank at 10:34 AM on August 25, 2004

As I remember it she fought long and hard for the hereditary aspect.

In 1992 she become Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven and entered the House of Lords. In addition, Denis Thatcher, her husband, was given a Baronetcy, which is a rare kind of hereditary knighthood. He became Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt. This assured that Margaret Thatcher's son, Mark, would inherit a title. Sir Denis died on June 26th 2003.


From here
posted by johnny novak at 10:48 AM on August 25, 2004

I object to the way the post was worded.
posted by ed\26h at 10:52 AM on August 25, 2004

One of my colleagues here at work is related to Mark Thatcher and has today been ritually humiliated for being a part of the bloodline of evil. Obviously he is one of the ones who actually works for a living as opposed to selling arms to foreign countries in direct contravention to international laws.

This has in no way mitigated the ribbing he has received.

It's a shame Mark didn't work to overthrow the regime of his mum's best mate Pinochet (who underwent a magical recovery from his illness once the threat of extradition had evaporated) thanks again Mags you fucking witch.
posted by longbaugh at 10:59 AM on August 25, 2004

In fact now I come to think about it (and sorry to skew off topic) I reckon Maggie must have had healing hands - both Pinochet and Ernest Saunders both managed to recover from Alzheimers (something nobody else on the planet has ever done to my knowledge) just by being friends with her.

It's a shame she didn't get to Ronnie in time.
posted by longbaugh at 11:15 AM on August 25, 2004

I, for one, still believe Ron never had it.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:43 PM on August 25, 2004

News of this put a spring in my step like nothing else ever has.

*pops champagne*
posted by influx at 3:41 PM on August 25, 2004

Awesome link, dmt.
posted by mote at 6:41 PM on August 25, 2004

I wonder if he will have his balls eaten
posted by mr.marx at 8:13 AM on August 26, 2004

ciderwoman : The circle remains unbroken.

Meanwhile the number of businessmen and establishment figures involved in the coup plot was widening. Lord Archer, who was dragged into the controversy after $134,000 (£74,000) was deposited into Mr Mann's bank account in the name of JH Archer four days before the coup attempt, was at the Olympics in Athens.
posted by punilux at 1:55 AM on August 27, 2004

It's a conspiracy! Isn't Thatch part of the Illuminati, anyway?
Well, it really is a conspiracy though, John le Carre has competition.

Not as big as Iraq and not as small as Yemen, this preemptive usurping of the sovereign ruler was deemed 'just right' by Thickie and his 'friends'.

The world loves this story!

Is it possible that Thatch understands what is going on? Karma catching up? It seems he was in the process of vacating SA with his family. Aparently, his wife has not left him! One wonders what kind of person finds Mark attractive, considers him a 'good bet' and worth preserving the genetic code of.

He has been released on bail (R2m), lets hope he doesn't attempt to flee! Then he really would not be held in good favour by SA. They might have the urge to extradite him, when they recaptured him!
posted by asok at 5:10 AM on August 29, 2004