Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 Thatcher Thatcher provides an accessible and scholarly introduction to the personality and career of Britain’s fi rst female political leader and the twentieth century’s longest serving Prime Minister. Providing a balanced narrative and assessment of one of the most signifi cant fi gures of the post-war era, this new biography examines the reasons why Margaret Thatcher has been admired by many as an architect of national revival, yet loathed by others as the author of widening social and geographical division. The book begins by examining the making of Margaret Thatcher, her education, the beginning of her political career and her rise through the Conservative Party to her unexpected election as leader. Moving on to her tenure as Prime Minister, Graham Goodlad then examines her impact at home and abroad, covering her controversial economic policies and hard line with the trade unions, leadership through the Falklands confl ict and during the last decade of the Cold War, and infl uence on Britain’s relation- ship with a more closely integrated Europe. Finally, the biography closes with a review of Thatcher’s legacy before and after her death in April 2013, and considers how far she shaped the politics and society of the 1980s and those of our own time. Thatcher is essential reading for all students of twentieth- Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 century history and politics. Graham Goodlad is Head of Politics at St John’s College, Southsea. His most recent publication (with Robert Pearce) is British Prime Ministers from Balfour to Brown (Routledge, 2013). ROUTLEDGE HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHIES Series Editor: Robert Pearce Routledge Historical Biographies provide engaging, readable and aca- demically credible biographies written from an explicitly historical per- spective. These concise and accessible accounts will bring important historical fi gures to life for students and general readers alike. In the same series: Bismarck by Edgar Feuchtwanger (second edition 2014) Calvin by Michael A. Mullett Edward IV by Hannes Kleineke Elizabeth I by Judith M. Richards Emmeline Pankhurst by Paula Bartley Franco by Antonio Cazorla-Sanchez Gladstone by Michael Partridge Henry V by John Matusiak Henry VI by David Grummitt Henry VII by Sean Cunningham Henry VIII by Lucy Wooding (second edition 2015) Hitler by Michael Lynch John F. Kennedy by Peter J. Ling John Maynard Keynes by Vincent Barnett Lenin by Christopher Read Louis XIV by Richard Wilkinson Mao by Michael Lynch Martin Luther by Michael A. Mullet (second edition 2014) Martin Luther King Jr. by Peter J. Ling (second edition 2015) Marx by Vincent Barnett Mary Queen of Scots by Retha M. Warnicke Mary Tudor by Judith M. Richards Mussolini by Peter Neville (second edition 2014) Nehru by Benjamin Zachariah Neville Chamberlain by Nick Smart Oliver Cromwell by Martyn Bennett Richard III by David Hipshon Thatcher by Graham Goodlad Trotsky by Ian Thatcher Forthcoming: Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 Churchill by Robert Pearce Cranmer by Susan Wabuda Gandhi by Benjamin Zachariah Khrushchev by Alexander Titov Queen Victoria by Paula Bartley Stalin by Christopher Read Wolsey by Glenn Richardson Thatcher Graham Goodlad Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 First published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Graham Goodlad The right of Graham Goodlad to be identifi ed as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Goodlad, Graham D. (Graham David), 1964- author. Thatcher / Graham Goodlad. pages cm. — (Routledge historical biographies) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Thatcher, Margaret. 2. Prime ministers—Great Britain— Biography. 3. Women prime ministers—Great Britain— Biography. 4. Great Britain—Politics and government— 1979–1997. I. Title. DA591.T47G66 2016 941.085′8092—dc23 [B] 2015028242 ISBN: 978-1-138-01565-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-01568-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-64718-0 (ebk) Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents Acknowledgements vii Chronology viii Introduction 1 1 From corner shop to cabinet room: 1925–1970 13 2 The unexpected leader: 1970–1979 35 3 The challenges of offi ce: 1979–1982 59 4 Post-imperial fall-out – Rhodesia, the Falklands and Hong Kong: 1979–1984 83 5 Establishing supremacy: 1982–1985 106 6 Pinnacle of power: 1985–1988 129 7 The troubled Union – Northern Ireland: 1979–1990 153 Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 8 Between the superpowers: 1979–1990 169 9 Building and resisting European union: 1979–1990 193 10 Decline and fall: 1988–1990 217 vi Contents 11 Life after political death: 1990–2013 239 12 The Thatcher legacy 251 Further reading 275 Index 281 Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 Acknowledgements Thatcher copyright is reproduced with permission from the estate of Lady Thatcher. The publishers are grateful to the estate of Lady Thatcher for granting permission to reproduce copyright material. Extract from ‘My Style of Government’: The Thatcher Years by Nicholas Ridley reprinted by permission of Peters Fraser + Dunlop (www.petersfraserdunlop.com) on behalf of the Estate of Nicholas Ridley. Extract from Not For Turning by Robin Harris, published by Bantam Press. Reproduced by permission of The Random House Group Ltd and Thomas Dunne Books. All rights reserved. Extract from My Style of Government by Nicholas Ridley, published by Hutchinson. Reproduced by permission of The Random House Group Ltd. Extract from Splendid! Splendid! by Ian Aitken and Mark Garnett, published by Jonathan Cape. Reproduced by permission of The Random House Group Ltd. Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 Chronology Date Personal Political General 1925 MT born 1943 Wins place at Oxford University 1950 Contests Dartford constituency 1951 Second attempt to win Dartford Marries Denis Thatcher 1953 Mark and Carol Thatcher born 1954 Qualifi es as a lawyer 1959 Elected MP for Finchley Conservatives under Harold Macmillan win general election 1961–4 Junior minister at Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance 1967 Joins Edward Heath’s Shadow Cabinet 1970–4 Education Secretary Conservatives under Edward Heath Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 win general election 1974 Shadow Environment and Heath loses two general elections Treasury roles (February and October) 1975 Wins Conservative Party leadership election 1976 James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister (continued) Date Personal Political General 1978–9 Winter of Discontent 1979 Assassination of Airey Neave (March) Becomes Prime Minister (May) Conservatives win general election with 43-seat majority (May) Lancaster House agreement on Rhodesia; Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (December) 1980 ‘The lady’s not for turning’ speech Interim deal on UK’s EC budget (October) contribution (May); 1980 Employment Act; right to buy for council tenants (August); Michael Foot elected Labour leader (November) 1981 Howe introduces controversial Ronald Reagan inaugurated budget (March) US President (January) Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 SDP formed (March) Riots in Brixton (April), Liverpool (July) IRA hunger strikes; ‘wets’ purged in Cabinet reshuffl e (September) 1982 Falklands confl ict (April–June); 1982 Employment Act (October) (continued) Date Personal Political General 1983 Re-elected with 144-seat majority Neil Kinnock elected Labour Party Reagan announces SDI project (June) leader (October) (March) US invasion of Grenada (October) 1984 MT survives Brighton hotel Miners’ strike begins (March) UK–China agreement on future bombing (October) of Hong Kong (December) Fontainebleau council deal on budget rebate (June) Sale of British Telecom (November) 1985 Miners’ strike ends (March) Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Abolition of GLC and metropolitan Soviet leader (March) councils (July) Anglo-Irish agreement signed (November) Downloaded by [New York University] at 13:41 28 September 2016 1986 Westland affair; Heseltine resigns from Cabinet (January) Single European Act signed (February) US warplanes attack Libya from British bases (April) (continued) Date Personal Political General 1987 Third general election victory, Unemployment falls below with 102-seat majority (June) 3 million (June) Black Monday on Stock Market (October) 1988 Bruges speech on Europe Retirement of Willie Whitelaw (September) (January) Lawson’s budget reduces top rate of income tax to 40%, standard rate to 25% (March) Education Reform Act passed