Why Was Margaret Thatcher Known As The Iron Lady
Margaret Thatcher
Introduction
The first female prime minister of Britain served as Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) (1979–90). She earned the nickname "The Iron Lady" for her strong, unyielding, and conservative political beliefs. On the home front in the UK, she weakened trade union strength, enacted the divisive poll tax, and implemented several free market reforms. As the Cold War came to an end, she worked closely with Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev and fostered a good relationship with American President Ronald Reagan in international matters.
Early Life and Education
Birth and Family Background
In Grantham, Lincolnshire, on October 13, 1925, Margaret Hilda Roberts was born. In addition to running a grocery store, her father was involved in liberal politics and the community Methodist Church. Margaret became head girl at the nearby Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School after winning a scholarship there.
Education
In 1943, she applied to Oxford University's Somerville College and was granted admission to study chemistry. She received second-class honors upon graduating in 1947. In 1946, she was chosen as the Oxford University Conservative Association's president when she was a student there.
She relocated to Colchester after receiving her degree and started working for BX Plastics as a research scientist. She received an invitation to run as a Conservative in 1951 for the safe Labour seat of Dartford. Despite her defeat, many in the party were impressed by her well-articulated and powerful opinions. In 1951, she also wed Denis Thatcher. She gave birth to Carol and Mark, two twins, in 1953.
Participant in the legislative
She was chosen to represent the Finchley seat as an MP in 1959. As Mrs. Thatcher rose through the ranks of the Conservative party, she was appointed minister of education in the early 1970s Ed Heath administration. During her tenure as education minister, Mrs. Thatcher earned the very derisive moniker "Maggie Thatcher-the milk snatcher." Her policy as education secretary to discontinue free school milk was the cause of this. Even as a cabinet minister, Mrs. Thatcher declared that Britain would never have a female prime minister, despite the fact that she was considered a rising star in the Conservative party.
"I don't believe a female prime minister will emerge during my lifetime." Broadcast by BBC on March 5, 1973 But only a few years later, in 1975, Mrs.
Rise in the Conservative Party
Thatcher emerged victorious over Edward Heath to become the helm of the Conservative Party and head the Opposition. Thatcher became familiar with the neo-conservative economists' ideologies in the 1970s; influenced by economists like Hayek and Friedman, they advocated for less government, lower taxes, and the abandonment of Keynesian economics. Thatcher was able to use her strong ideological stance to influence party policy as a result.
Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990
In 1979, Mrs. Thatcher won a landslide victory as prime minister for the Conservatives. Mrs. Thatcher introduced divisive economic ideas without delay. She blamed the previous Labour government for the economic woes of poor growth and inflation, which she said could only be solved by enforcing rigorous Monetarism. She was able to lower inflation, but her deflationary monetary policies brought to a severe economic downturn that saw a three million increase in unemployment. Many of her policies faced tremendous opposition from the public. A well-known letter to the Times newspaper was sent by 360 economists advocating for an immediate change in government policy. But in typical Thatcher fashion, she declined.
At the Conservative party conference, she chose to speak instead, saying, "You turn if you want to, but this lady is not for turning." It summed up her whole premiership: she was fiery in her convictions and steadfast in her dedication.
(See: Mrs. Thatcher's Britain's economy, 1979–84)Consensus, in my opinion, is the act of eschewing all ideals, values, beliefs, and policies in favor of something that no one disagrees with but which no one believes is true; it is also the act of avoiding the very problems that need to be resolved because there is no consensus on how to proceed. Under the motto "I stand for consensus," what worthy cause would have been taken up and triumphed over?
Mrs. Thatcher, Her Years in Downing Street (1993)Margaret Thatcher
The Argentinean army invaded the Falklands islands during the economic downturn. To recover the islands, Mrs. Thatcher dispatched a British expeditionary force. The islands were retaken with very few deaths (despite the fact that hundreds of people perished in the fighting). Thatcher's support surged after this military triumph. It is important to note, though, that she faced criticism for both her choice to sink the Belgrano—which was leaving the battle zone—and for her arrogant attitude.
Following the islands' recapture, Mrs. Thatcher declared:"Just celebrate the news and give our troops and the marines a round of applause. Celebrate.
Many believed that this was unsuitable in light of the recent deaths on the Argentinean and British sides.Her conflict with trade unions was another characteristic of the Thatcher administration in its early years.
Thatcher's goal was to weaken trade union influence, especially that of the militant NUM, which was led by Arthur Scargill and represented mineworkers. Mrs. Thatcher readied the nation for a protracted labor strike; when the miners went on strike in 1984, they were ultimately compelled to return to work following a grueling year-long conflict.
She got along well with American President Ronald Reagan when it came to foreign policy. They met frequently and discussed the US and UK's "special relationship." Additionally, Mrs. Thatcher showed reverence for Mikhail Gorbachev, the president of Russia. Regarding Gorbachev, she is renowned for having stated, "he was a man who we could do business with."When Mrs. Thatcher traveled to the Soviet Union in 1987, thousands of people showed up to see the Iron Lady.
Legacy and Influence
A Russian newspaper first coined the term "Iron Lady" to mock Thatcher for her criticism of the USSR, but Thatcher seemed to love the moniker, and it stayed.
Domestically, her contentious and rigid decision to maintain the poll tax overshadowed the last years of her premiership. The fact that all taxpayers, regardless of income, paid the same amount made this tax widely perceived as unfair. Her popularity fell as a result of violent protests against the poll tax. She also started to be linked to policies that supported individuality. She stated in a quote that is frequently taken out of context:
They are blaming society for their issue. Additionally, as you are aware, society does not exist. There are families and there are men and women on their own. Furthermore, the only thing a government can accomplish is through its citizens, who must first look within. After taking care of ourselves, it is our responsibility to take care of our neighbors. Individuals tend to focus too much on their rights rather than their responsibilities. (interview transcript)
She finally lost her position as party leader and prime minister in 1990 as a result of her waning popularity. Despite her bitterness at what she saw as betrayal, she had a profound impact on the political and economic climate in the United Kingdom. She had a positive or negative impact on the political and economic climate in Britain. Thatcher specifically signaled a rupture from the post-war orthodoxy and "One Nation Conservatism."
Conclusion
It is interesting that many of the economic measures that Mrs Thatcher had started were adopted by Tony Blair and new Labour when Labour eventually came back to power in 1997. Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher frequently have a mutual respect for one another.
Thatcher had a stroke on April 8, 2013, and passed away at the age of 87.
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