Knowra Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher was British prime minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party. Her governments pursued privatization, deregulation, trade-union reform, and a close alliance with the United States.
Thatcherism : A political program associated with Thatcher, emphasizing monetarism, privatization, deregulation, and reduced trade-union power. The name given to the governing ideas that defined her premiership.
Falklands War : The 1982 conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands. Her decision to send a task force and the British victory strengthened her political standing.
Geoffrey Howe : A British Conservative politician who served as foreign secretary, chancellor, and deputy prime minister under Thatcher. His resignation speech in 1990 helped precipitate the challenge that ended her leadership.
Grantham : A market town in Lincolnshire, England, where Margaret Thatcher was born and raised. Her upbringing in her family’s grocery business there shaped her public account of thrift and self-reliance.
Post-war consensus : A broad postwar British political settlement supporting a mixed economy, welfare provision, and state involvement in industry. Her policies challenged assumptions that had guided governments of both major parties after 1945.
British miners' strike (1984–1985) : A year-long conflict between the National Union of Mineworkers and the British government over pit closures. Its defeat weakened organized labor and became a defining confrontation of her government.
Westland affair : A 1985–1986 political controversy over the future ownership of the British helicopter company Westland. The dispute exposed divisions within her cabinet and raised questions about her leadership style.
Michael Heseltine : A British Conservative politician who challenged Thatcher for the party leadership in 1990. His leadership challenge forced a second ballot and contributed to her departure.
University of Oxford : A university in Oxford, England, with colleges dating back to the medieval period. Thatcher studied chemistry at Somerville College and became president of the Oxford University Conservative Association.
Keynesian economics : An economic theory advocating demand management, including public spending, to moderate economic downturns. Her government rejected demand management in favor of controlling money supply and inflation.
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