Click Here to Rate This Resource MARGARET THATCHER AND CONSERVATIVE POLITICS IN ENGLAND Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) served longer than any other UK prime minister in the 20th century. IN A HISTORIC ELECTION IN 1979, VOTERS The Conservative Party, also cation secretary, part of his Cabinet IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) ELECTED called the Tory Party, is one of two (government officials in charge of de- MARGARET THATCHER TO BE PRIME MIN- major parties in England along with partments). As secretary, she made a ISTER. SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN the more liberal-left Labour Party (in controversial decision to end the gov- ELECTED TO THAT OFFICE. SHE WENT ON the UK, the word “labor“ is spelled ernment’s distribution of free milk to TO BE THE LONGEST-SERVING PRIME labour). Conservatism is a political schoolchildren aged 7 to 11. The press MINISTER IN THE 20TH CENTURY. AS ideology that generally supports pri- revealed that she privately opposed HEAD OF THE UK GOVERNMENT AND vate property rights, a limited govern- ending the free-milk policy, but the LEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, ment, a strong national defense, and Treasury Department had pressured THATCHER PROVOKED CONTROVERSY. EVEN AFTER HER DEATH IN 2013, SHE the importance of tradition in society. her to cut government spending. REMAINS A HERO TO SOME AND A The Labour Party grew out of the VILLAIN TO OTHERS. trade union movement in the 19th ‘Who Governs Britain?’ century, and it traditionally supports Struggles between the UK govern- Born in 1925, Thatcher was the the interests of working people, who ment and trade unions marked daughter of Alfred Roberts, a middle- want better wages, working condi- Thatcher’s career. In the 1970s, the UK’s class grocer in the town of Grantham, tions, and job security. economy experienced inflation, which England. Young Margaret Roberts, her After college, Roberts worked as a devalued the currency and made goods sister, mother, and father lived in an chemist for a plastics company. She and services more expensive. Prime apartment above one of Alfred’s two still had an interest in Conservative Minister Heath attempted to fight infla- grocery stores. Later, Thatcher said of Party politics and even in running for tion by capping pay raises for public em- her family that “we always lived within office. She met Denis Thatcher, a ployees. This affected coal miners, who our means.” Her father was involved in wealthy businessman, at a Conserva- worked for the government. In protest in local politics and was elected as mayor tive Party conference, and the two 1973, the National Union of Minework- of Grantham for a year in 1945. married in 1951. Soon after, she stud- ers (NUM) had the miners slow down Margaret Roberts entered Oxford ied law and became a tax lawyer. In their work to the bare minimum, which University in 1943 to study chemistry. 1959, she was elected to the House of reduced the supply of coal. She worked on a project of X-ray crys- Commons in Parliament. Heath responded with an energy- tallography, supervised by Dorothy From then on, Thatcher’s career saving policy called Three-Day Week, Hodgkin, who later won a Nobel Prize was entirely in politics. From 1959 which limited non-essential busi- in chemistry. While in college, she de- until 1970, she served in Parliament. In nesses to only three consecutive days veloped an interest in politics and 1970, Conservative Party Prime Minis- a week to consume energy. This put served as president of the Oxford Con- ter Edward Heath appointed her edu- the government and NUM further into servative Association. 10 GOVERNME NT (c) Constitutional Rights Foundation www.crf-usa.org conflict. Miners found their hours and First Female Prime Minister servatives over a welfare state, collect- wages cut. They went on strike in Thatcher’s 1979 election was ing taxes and borrowing money to 1974. In the midst of this conflict, newsworthy partly because she was fund welfare programs and services for Heath called for a parliamentary elec- the first woman to be prime minister the public. Both parties supported the tion, which UK prime ministers may of the UK. Unfortunately, some men in welfare state and also trade unions, do. Heath’s campaign slogan was Parliament were condescending to her even though they disagreed about how “Who governs Britain?,” which was a simply because she was a woman in a the welfare state should be run, how challenge to the NUM. But Heath and strong leadership role. One said that ar- much it should provide, and how the Conservatives lost, and the Labour guing with her was “prototypical” of much power the trade unions should Party won. arguing with a woman, having “no ra- have. For example, both parties agreed The following year, Thatcher de- tional sequence.” that the government should provide feated Heath to become the leader of She downplayed the fact that she universal healthcare and national un- the opposition. This is an official posi- was a woman, however, and never employment insurance for all citizens. tion in Parliament, filled by the leader embraced the feminist movement. Most of the Tory leaders in Parlia- of the largest minority party in the “You see,” she later said, “you do not ment were from the upper class and House of Commons. The position en- actually elect women Prime Minis- had inherited their wealth. They were abled Thatcher to speak prominently ters.... You elect a person . and called “one-nation Tories” because about the ever-weakening British econ- the fact that they are either men or they accepted the consensus. Many of omy, the threat of the Soviet Union in women is secondary.” them also felt a sense of noblesse world affairs, and other concerns. oblige, the obligation of nobles to take When the Labour government of care of the lower classes. Prime Minister James Callaghan had its The agency came Margaret Thatcher was different. own troubles with trade unions, Thatcher She had humbler middle-class begin- seized an opportunity. With inflation sky- up with a poster that nings. She had married a wealthy man, rocketing, Callaghan imposed pay caps but she was independent-minded and on public employees, much like Heath read in bold letters had studied science and law. She in- before him. Many trade unions went on ‘Labour Isn’t Working’ tended to shake up the consensus, nationwide strikes during the winter of which she felt had led to uncontrollable 1978–79, known as the “Winter of Dis- In fact, she was more proud of inflation and a culture of dependence content.” Piles of garbage went uncol- being the first scientist to become on government. This culture had al- lected. In some areas, gravediggers left prime minister than being the first lowed the trade unions to have too bodies unburied. Thatcher called for a woman in that role. During her three much influence on government. new election. When Callaghan did not terms as prime minister, she never ap- hold a new election, Thatcher called the pointed one woman to a Cabinet posi- The Basis of Thatcherism Labour government “chickens.” tion. She did, however, make thousands Since studying at Oxford, she had de- Then, in March 1979, Thatcher of positions in the army open to women. veloped an interest in the theories of Aus- made a motion in Parliament for a vote She also supported abortion rights for trian economist Friedrich von Hayek, a of no-confidence in Callaghan. In this women throughout her political career. winner of the Nobel Prize in economics. kind of vote, members of Parliament Hayek favored minimal government con- vote up or down whether they want to Ending the Consensus trol over businesses and the economy. continue having their current prime Thatcher’s victory did more than Thatcher had enough support within her minister (and majority party). end the rule of the Labour Party. She and party to put into practice several of Callaghan lost by one vote, which her supporters had long hoped to shake Hayek’s ideas. One of these ideas was forced a general election by the people. up the Conservative Party. “If a Tory does privatization, taking away government Thatcher ran against Callaghan, not believe that private property is one control of key industries and businesses. whose popularity was sinking. The Con- of the main bulwarks of individual free- She also liked the ideas of Milton servative Party hired an advertising dom,” Thatcher wrote in 1975, “then he Friedman, an American economist and agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to design an had better become a socialist and have also a Nobel Prize winner. Friedman was ad for the election. The agency came up done with it.” a monetarist, which means he believed with a poster that read in bold letters As prime minister, Thatcher’s main the way to lower inflation was to control “Labour Isn’t Working” above an image challenge was to reduce inflation. Nei- the supply of money in a nation’s econ- of what looked like an unemployment ther the previous Conservative nor omy. Simply put, the more money in an line. This novel political move helped Labour governments had managed to do economy, the less it is worth. That causes sway public opinion further against that. Thatcher believed that a big part of inflation. More important, the nation’s Callaghan’s Labour government. In the the problem was that the Conservative money supply should grow at fixed rates, May 1979 general election, the Conser- Party was not confrontational enough. so businesses can plan accordingly and vative Party won a majority of seats in Since World War II, the UK had adjust how many goods or services Parliament, making Margaret Thatcher been run under what was known as a they can afford to supply.