The Controversial Margaret Thatcher

The name Margaret Thatcher may sound familiar to you, but you probably don't know much about her. What was her political background? What was her connection to the family business? How did she become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? And why was she so controversial? These are just a few of the questions that will be addressed in this article. However, there are so many other fascinating facts about Margaret Thatcher that you can find on her website, which I have compiled for your reading pleasure.

Assassination attempt

In December 1979, an I.R.A. bomb was planted outside Harrods department store. The bomb killed six people and wounded 31 others. The prime minister and her husband, Airey Neave, were not among the casualties. Several of the attackers were arrested, but not Thatcher. The IRA was a terrorist organization, and this is why the attempted assassination of Margaret Thatcher is remembered as a dark chapter in British politics.

The IRA had a long history of terrorism, but the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel killed five people. The IRA's plot was the most audacious attack on the British government since the 1605 plot to blow up the British Parliament. However, the IRA did not get their man until the second attempt. As a result, the British government reacted by taking new diplomatic initiatives to resolve the Irish dispute.

Career

Many people have made a mistake by assuming that Margaret Thatcher was a Europhobe or a Eurosceptic, but that's not true. When it came to the European Union, thatcher was an enthusiastic supporter. She supported Britain's accession to the European Economic Community and voted to remain in the organization. Thatcher also fought to lower Britain's financial contribution to the European budget and supported the Single European Act, which pushed for a free market within the EU. In addition, she actively supported the accession of Spain and Portugal and the former communist nations of Eastern Europe.

She did not consider herself a feminist, but her rise to power as the British Prime Minister showed ordinary women that they could also survive in a "man's world." In fact, one interviewer, Jane Pilcher, conducted a series of interviews with female politicians and found that many women viewed Thatcher as an important female role model. This is why that piece is so important to understanding Margaret Thatcher's political career.

Politics

Margaret Thatcher's politics were controversial for many reasons. She inherited a Conservative Party which had been in the hands of the Liberals since 1945. This sparked a backlash against the Tories and many argued that Thatcher would sabotage the party's chances of winning the 1983 general election. Margaret Thatcher's political philosophy was a free market economy, and she advocated for the reduction of government intervention to foster economic growth. She was also a strong supporter of the free market, and she included many of the unions in her early cabinet, though gradually weeded them out. Her economic policies were very different from those of her predecessor, and she sought to put a human face on monetarism, so she spoke of running the economy as a thrifty housewife, and she fabricated stories about her personal struggles and triumphs

While the Conservative Party endorsed that policy, the established Church did not debate it. It often involved the prime minister in approving ecclesiastical promotions. As a Christian, Margaret Thatcher believed that the Ten Commandments addressed individuals rather than the government. Furthermore, she rejected the idea that redistributive taxation could generate virtue. As a result, her political philosophy reflected her Christian beliefs.

Economic policies

After decades of stagnant growth in Britain's economy, Thatcher came to power in 1979, promising to remedy the nation's ills through new, daring free-market policies. Margaret Thatcher placed financial stability high on her list of macroeconomic priorities, and pursued that goal with tenacity. Helmut Norpoth examines the electoral risks and rewards of Margaret Thatcher's economic strategy.

Margaret Thatcher's economic policies are known for turning a failing economy into a thriving one, while taming unions and reinstating Britain as a global power. Her policies helped bring about the end of the Cold War, as well. However, Thatcher's 11-year premiership was not without its fair share of controversy. Unemployment and industrial strife were high during Thatcher's tenure, and many believe that her divisive economic policies were the root of the nation's ills.

Relationship with Establishment

The question of Margaret Thatcher's relationship with the establishment has always occupied political historians. The prime minister had promised to reform the paternalistic settlement that had ruled Britain for more than 40 years. This settlement, which included the monarch, was the symbol of a largely upper-class establishment. Yet, Thatcher and her Cabinet struggled to find redeeming features in the old-establishment members of her cabinet.

The first step in evaluating Thatcher's relationship with the establishment was to examine her record of dealing with the trade unions. Thatcher, who had seen her predecessor's government brought to its knees by union strike action, was determined to win this confrontation. During her first term, she lowered direct taxes and increased taxes on spending, sold public housing and introduced austerity measures. Similarly, she had a difficult relationship with the press, and her'relationship with the establishment' was a source of abrasion for Thatcher.