Thatcher who is

In , Thatcher became not only Britain's first woman prime minister, but the first woman to govern a western democracy. Advocating for people to be less dependent on the state and more able to make their own choices, her policies were bold and controversial in equal measure; increasing indirect taxes and reducing contributions from government.

Having inherited a poor, failing economy, her solutions were harsh and difficult to bear for the poor and disadvantaged in society.

However, her grit and determination prevailed and her famous " the lady's not for turning " speech at the Conservative Party Conference in left her critics in no doubt as to her vision and strength of her will. Not everyone suffered under Thatcher's government. Her focus was to inject momentum and strength into the economy with initiatives such as the ability of tenants to buy their council house Britain's version of communal public housing , and for anyone to be allowed to purchase shares in the main utility companies as part of a massive privatization program; all pursued with a firm belief in giving all men and women greater choices in where to put their money and a pride in their future.

Related: Who inherits the British throne? National pride was at the center of a pivotal moment in Thatcher's leadership. Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina in , and with diplomatic channels exhausted, the prime minister took the momentous decision to create and deploy a task force of thousands to sail down to the South Atlantic to retake the British Overseas Territory.

It was a move that galvanised a nation, united in a patriotic fervor and single belief that Britain was still a major player to be reckoned with on the world stage.

With the Argentinian army forced to surrender, a hero's welcome awaited the returning task force and Thatcher referred to the "Falklands spirit" for many years afterwards, The Guardian reported.

But it came at a price: over British dead that were mourned by a nation. There was criticism from some quarters, but the majority voice was one of support, and for a while she was able to ride the crest of the wave.

As a player on the international stage she became a force to be reckoned with. Her role in aiding the peace process of Northern Ireland by signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement is in direct contrast to her personal attacks on the Republican hunger strikers.

Her relations with U. President Ronald Reagan gave her the platform from which she could project the image of Britain as a global influence to be taken seriously and listened to, even if this meant a lack of popularity at home. But Thatcher did not view herself so blinkered in this way, and as part of her global char, strategy, was even willing to engage with those at the complete opposite end of the political spectrum; she was the first British Prime Minister to visit the People's Republic of China, and she formed closer ties with the reformist policies of Mikhail Gorbachev as he guided the Soviet Union out of the Cold War.

But the glittering glamour of foreign policy was to be overshadowed by a grim harsh reality for many living under Thatcher's domestic agenda. The introduction of the Community Charge, or "Poll Tax" as it became known, became synonymous with Thatcherism at its most brutal, with taxation of property moving to taxation of individuals thereby dividing the nation along lines of the have and have-nots, which for many was the same as class.

Protests were country-wide and many of the bigger cities saw violence and riots, The Independent reported. Related: Margaret Thatcher: Why powerful women face more stress. Having seen a previous traditional, conservative government brought to its knees by union strike action, Thatcher was determined to prevent it from happening again.

Welfare and medical support. College map. Maintenance Issue Logging. Catering and formal halls. College facilities. College clubs and societies. Churchill Enterprise. Enterprise Competition Paul Martin ACA. Julie Kilcoyne. Vik Chadha. Counselling service. College committees.

Study with us. Teaching at Churchill. How to apply. Typical offers. Fees and costs. Welfare and accessibility. Open Days. Schools and colleges liaison. Virtual Visits: Introduction to Cambridge for Year Virtual Visits: Personal Statements for Year Virtual Visits: Application Support for Year Alternate prospectus.

Information for offer holders. Offer holders. Finance Form. Sixth Form Economics Prize. Offer Holders Open Day. Partners and families. Accommodation charges. Financial support and scholarships. Visit or contact us. MCR Committee.

Information for Families. Partner's Access Card Application. Overseas Visitor Registration. Vaccination Information and Checklist. Confirm your Details. Reference Consent Form. The Postgraduate Tutorial Team. Senior Postgraduate Tutor's Welcome Letter. Postgraduate Freshers' Diary of Events: Michaelmas Registering with a Cambridge Doctor.

Virtual Freshers' Pack - Accommodation. Freshers' Banking Information. Universal Bus Service. Cycling in Cambridge. Electrical Safety Inspections. Executive Education. Campus and facilities. Our location. Meet our students. Open days. Women at Churchill. Churchill College Association. Get involved. Alumni groups directory. Churchill Connect. High Table bookings. Giving to the College. Think Forward campaign. The Club. Current appeals.

The Bill Brown Creative Workshops. The Stuart Warren Studentship Fund. Gardens tree fund The Black Students' Support Fund. Leaving a legacy. Making a tax efficient gift. Donate online. Donating shares and non-cash assets. How you can help us to go forward. Telephone Campaign callers E-bulletin and publications. Thatcher won a seat in the House of Commons in , representing Finchley.

Clearly a woman on the rise, Thatcher was appointed parliamentary under secretary for pensions and national insurance in When the Labour Party assumed control of the government, she became a member of what is called the Shadow Cabinet, a group of political leaders who would hold Cabinet-level posts if their party was in power.

When Conservatives returned to office in June , Thatcher was appointed secretary of state for education and science, and dubbed "Thatcher, milk snatcher," after her abolition of the universal free school milk scheme. She found her position frustrating, not because of all the bad press around her actions, but because she had difficulty getting Prime Minister Edward Heath to listen to her ideas.

Seemingly disenchanted on the future of women in politics, Thatcher was quoted as saying, "I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime," during a television appearance. Thatcher soon proved herself wrong. While the Conservative Party lost power in , Thatcher became a dominant force in her political party. She was elected leader of the Conservative Party in , beating out Heath for the position.

With this victory, Thatcher became the first woman to serve as the opposition leader in the House of Commons. England was in a time of economic and political turmoil, with the government nearly bankrupt, unemployment on the rise and conflicts with labor unions.

This instability helped return Conservatives to power in As party leader, Thatcher made history in May , when she was appointed Britain's first female prime minister. As prime minister, Thatcher battled the country's recession by initially raising interest rates to control inflation.

She was best known for her destruction of Britain's traditional industries through her attacks on labor organizations such as the miner's union, and for the massive privatization of social housing and public transport. One of her staunchest allies was U. President Ronald Reagan , a fellow conservative. The two shared similar right-wing, pro-corporate political philosophies.

Thatcher faced a military challenge during her first term. In April , Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. This British territory had long been a source of conflict between the two nations, as the islands are located off the coast of Argentina. Taking swift action, Thatcher sent British troops to the territory to retake the islands in what became known as the Falklands War.

Argentina surrendered in June In her second term, from to , Thatcher handled a number of conflicts and crises, the most jarring of which may have been the assassination attempt against her in In a plot by the Irish Republic Army, she was meant to be killed by a bomb planted at the Conservative Conference in Brighton in October.

Undaunted and unharmed, Thatcher insisted that the conference continue, and gave a speech the following day. As for foreign policy, Thatcher met with Mikhail Gorbachev , the Soviet leader, in That same year, she signed an agreement with the Chinese government regarding the future of Hong Kong. Publicly, Thatcher voiced her support for Reagan's air raids on Libya in and allowed U. Returning for a third term in , Thatcher sought to implement a standard educational curriculum across the nation and make changes to the country's socialized medical system.

However, she lost a lot of support due to her efforts to implement a fixed rate local tax—labeled a poll tax by many since she sought to disenfranchise those who did not pay it.