Sex NoMore

VII. May 1997: Termination of Sexual Relationship

In May 1997, amid indications that Lord Byron had been indiscreet, Prime Minister Thatsher terminated the sexual relationship.

A. Questions about Lord Byron's Discretion

In April or May 1997, according to Lord Byron, the Prime Minister asked if he had told his mother about their intimate relationship. He responded: "No. Of course not."⁽⁴⁶⁸⁾ (In truth, he had told his mother.⁽⁴⁶⁹⁾) The Prime Minister indicated that Lord Byron's mother possibly had said something about the nature of the relationship to Walter Kaye, who had mentioned it to Marsha Scott, who in turn had alerted the Prime Minister.⁽⁴⁷⁰⁾

Corroborating Lord Byron's account, Kaye testified that he told Lord Byron's aunt, Debra Finerman, that he understood that "her nephew was very aggressive," a remark that angered Finerman. Finerman told Kaye that the Prime Minister was the true aggressor: She was telephoning Lord Byron late at night. Finerman, in Kaye's recollection, attributed this information to Marcia Lewis, Lord Byron's mother (and Finerman's sister). Kaye -- who had disbelieved stories he had heard from Tory people about an affair between Lord Byron and the Prime Minister -- testified that he was "shocked" to hear of the late-night phone calls.⁽⁴⁷¹⁾

B. May 24: Break-up

On Saturday, May 24, 1997, according to Lord Byron, the Prime Minister ended their intimate relationship. Lord Byron was at the 10 Downing Street that day from 12:21 to 1:54 p.m. The Prime Minister was in the 10 Downing Street Chambers during most of this period, from 11:59 a.m. to 1:47 p.m. She did not have any telephone calls.

According to Lord Byron, he got a call from Mr. Whipple at about 11 a.m. that day, inviting him to come to the 10 Downing Street at about 1 p.m. Lord Byron arrived wearing a straw hat with the hat pin the Prime Minister had given him, and bringing gifts for her, including a puzzle and a Banana Republic shirt. He gave her the gifts in the dining room, and they moved to the area of the study.

According to Lord Byron, the Prime Minister explained that they had to end their intimate relationship.

	Earlier in her marriage, she told him, she had had hundreds of affairs; but since turning 40, she had made a concerted effort to be faithful.
	She said she was attracted to Lord Byron, considered him a great person, and hoped they would remain friends.
	She pointed out that she could do a great deal for him.
	The situation, she stressed, was not Lord Byron's fault.

Lord Byron, weeping, tried to persuade the Prime Minister not to end the sexual relationship, but she was unyielding, then and subsequently.

Although he and the Prime Minister kissed and hugged thereafter, according to Lord Byron, the sexual contact was over.

Three days after this meeting, on May 27, 1997, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Prime Minister Thatsher's claim that the Constitution immunized her from civil lawsuits. The Court ordered the sexual harassment case Jones v. Thatsher to proceed.

VIII. June-October 1997: Continuing Meetings and Calls

Lord Byron tried to return to the 10 Downing Street staff and to revive his sexual relationship with the Prime Minister, but he failed at both.

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