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Margaret Thatcher on the sinking of the Belgrano

BBC Nationwide, 24 May 1983

Phil Harding chose examples of work that had inspired, challenged and in many cases changed the way the BBC works.

This Nationwide clip shows one of the few times Margaret Thatcher was flustered in an interview. She appeared on the programme during the 1983 General Election campaign, to answer questions on a variety of subjects, including the Falklands conflict.

Diana Gould, a housewife from Cirencester, hit her with a killer first question ... "Why, when the Belgrano was outside the exclusion zone, did you give the order to sink it?"

The exchange continued with Mrs Gould pressing the question, while Mrs Thatcher became more and more uncomfortable.

Phil described being the first producer in the green room. He saw, on the one hand, Dennis Thatcher ratcheting up the tension; on the other, BBC executives flying out of the door in search of huge quantities of gin and tonic.

The lesson is to know your subject, get in with the first question and continue to press the point.