Intro
Margaret Thatcher was the Conservative Party leader from 1975 to 1990, and the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister from 1979 to 1990.1 Not only was she the first woman to hold office, but also the longest-serving prime minister with three terms, since 1827. Known as the “Iron Lady”, Thatcher was uncompromising in her politics and leadership style, especially when it came to communism in the Soviet Union. Her convictions, decisions, and overall leadership style have become known as Thatcherism; a realignment toward neolobiral policies in the United Kingdom.
Thatcher’s philosophies and policies emphasized financial deregulation, reducing the power afforded to trade unions, and the privatization of state-owned enterprises.2 She led the country to its 1982 victory in the Falklands War and revived its economy which had been declining since WWII. Beyond the specifics of her political achievements, Thatcherism included fierce nationalism, a combative approach to achieving political goals, and a fervent regard for individual interests. Thatcher’s political career was perhaps one of the most controversial during modern times: she passed away in 2013 but her legacy today remains one of the most influential and debated of contemporary political leaders.
I shall never stop fighting. I mean this country to survive, to prosper and to be free… I haven’t fought the destructive forces of socialism for more than twenty years in order to stop now, when the critical phase of the struggle is upon us.
- Margaret Thatcher in her speech to Federation of Conservative Students Conference (March 1975)
