by Chris Mullin
Monday, 9 May
I’m out. Death comes swiftly in British politics. As the day wore on without contact from Number 10, I began to assume I was safe since most of the departures were already announced. At quarter to four I was on the phone to Connie Newman, my opposite number in the US State Department, discussing what to do about the Liberian warlord, Charles Taylor. Five minutes later I was no longer the Minister.
The Man sounded remarkably cheerful. No hint of what was to come. We exchanged chit-chat about the result and then came the fatal words: ‘I’m sorry Chris, but I am going to have to let you go.’
‘Tony, I’m devastated. Why?’
There followed some nonsense about how he had to make room for new faces and how this was no reflection on my performance, which is no doubt what he says to everyone. Then he was gone, leaving me to contemplate oblivion.
* The defeat of Michael Portillo at Enfield was a seminal moment in the 1997 general election.