November 1990
Dear Mr Date
The Prime Minister has asked me to thank you for your recent letter.
Mrs Thatcher was very grateful indeed for the time and trouble you took to write in with your message of support. It was a most thoughtful gesture at an extremely difficult time both for the Party as a whole and for her personally.
However, after consulting widely with her political colleagues and friends, the Prime Minister has now decided not to fight for the Party leadership on the second ballot, and she will resign as Prime Minister once the new Party Leader is elected. Mrs Thatcher firmly believes that the unity of the Conservative Party and the prospects of victory at the next General Election are best served by this decision.
The Prime Minister has been greatly heartened by all those who have offered her such strong support, and she sends her deepest thanks and best wishes.