Franks's role as a Cold Warrior in the classic mould, and his ideological commitment to confronting the KGB, may have been of some interest to Margaret Thatcher when she entered Downing Street in May 1979; but she did not mention him in her memoirs, The Downing Street Years. Given her views on the importance of secrecy, this may not be entirely surprising; but there can be little doubt that she had been favourably impressed by Oldfield, who had been authorised to brief her while she was still in opposition, and to whom she was to turn for help in Northern Ireland.