Old friends rally round the Iron Lady

When Carol Thatcher revealed in a newspaper article last month that her mother was suffering from dementia, many of Lady Thatcher's (pictured in 1983 with Cecil Parkinson) friends were apparently horrified but chose to maintain a dignified silence for fear of further embarrassing the Iron Lady. However, two of her most devoted former ministers and intimates have now decided to come forward and dispute her daughter’s revelations.

First to step up to the plate is Lord (Norman) Tebbit, who believes that the revelations, made in Carol’s biography A Swim-On Part In The Goldfish Bowl, are way beyond the pale. "I would never have done that to a parent of mine who might have shown forgetfulness, and I certainly hope that none of my children do such a thing to me," he tells the Daily Mail. "I can't say what her [Carol's] motives were – but as my wife said to me, such mental failings tend to be hereditary." Ouch.

Lord (Cecil) Parkinson, the former Tory party chairman and a great favourite of Lady T's, disputes that she is suffering from dementia at all. "Every six weeks or so I take her to lunch," he says. "In fact, I'm taking her to lunch next Wednesday. I can't imagine what her daughter was up to because Carol gave the impression that her mother is no longer with us. In fact, she's very good company. She's obviously more frail than she was, but always looks stunning. And she is still capable of delivering a powerful punchline."

Meanwhile, it appears Gordon Brown has joined the ranks of admirers who refuse to believe Lady Thatcher is on the wane. The beleaguered PM has invited her to lunch with him at Chequers on Saturday.