Margaret Thatcher Biography: Synopsis

Margaret Thatcher Biography
Prime Minister (19252013)

NAME
Margaret Thatcher
OCCUPATION
Prime Minister
BIRTH DATE
October 13, 1925
DEATH DATE
April 8, 2013
EDUCATION
Oxford University, Somerville College, Grantham Girls' High School
PLACE OF BIRTH
Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
PLACE OF DEATH
United Kingdom
NICKNAME
"Iron Lady"
MAIDEN NAME
Margaret Hilda Roberts
FULL NAME
Margaret Hilda Thatcher
The first female prime minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher was a controversial
figurehead of conservative ideology during her time in office.
QUOTES
One of the things being in politics has taught is that men are not a reasoned or
reasonable sex.
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher - Mini Biography (TV-14; 3:16) Margaret Thatcher was the first
female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Her speech against communism earned
her the name "The Iron Lady." Leading Britain through a war and out of a recession, she
left a huge mark on politics.
Synopsis
Born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's
Conservative Party leader and in 1979 was elected prime minister, the first woman to
hold the position. During her three terms, she cut social welfare programs, reduced trade
union power and privatized certain industries. Thatcher resigned in 1991 due to
unpopular policy and power struggles in her party. She died on April 8, 2013, at age 87.
Early Life
Politician and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was born as Margaret
Hilda Roberts on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England. Nicknamed the "Iron Lady,"
Thatcher served as the prime minister of England from 1979 to 1990. The daughter of a
local businessman, she was educated at a local grammar school, Grantham Girls' High
School. Her family operated a grocery store and they all lived in an apartment above the
store. In her early years, Thatcher was introduced to conservative politics by her father,
who was a member of the town's council.
A good student, Thatcher was accepted to Oxford University, where she studied
chemistry at Somerville College. One of her instructors was the Dorothy Hodgkin, a
Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Politically active in her youth, Thatcher served as
president of the Conservative Association at the university. She earned a degree in
chemistry in 1947, and went on to work as a research chemist in Colchester. Later, she
worked as a research chemist in Dartford.
Early Foray into Politics
Two years after graduating from college, Thatcher made her first bid for public office.
She ran as the conservative candidate for a Dartford parliamentary seat in the 1950
elections. Thatcher knew from the start that it would be nearly impossible to win the
position away from the liberal Labour Party. Still she earned the respect of her political
party peers with her speeches. Defeated, Thatcher remained undaunted, trying again the
following year, but once more her efforts were unsuccessful. Two months after her loss,
she married Denis Thatcher.
In 1952, Thatcher put politics aside for a time to study law. She and her husband
welcomed twins Carol and Mark the next year. After completing her training, Thatcher
qualified as a barrister, a type of lawyer, in 1953. But she didn't stay away from the
political arena for too long. Thatcher won a seat in the House of Commons in 1959,
representing Finchley.
Clearly a woman on the rise, Thatcher was appointed parliamentary under-secretary for
pensions and national insurance in 1961. 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.
Britain's First Female Premier

When Conservatives returned to office in June 1970, 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 1973 television appearance.
Thatcher soon proved herself wrong. While the Conservative Party lost power in 1974,
Thatcher became a dominant force in her political party. She was elected leader of the
Conservative Party in 1975, 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, employment on the rise and conflicts with labour unions.
This instability helped return Conservatives to power in 1979. As party leader, Thatcher
made history in May 1979, when she was appointed Britain's first female prime
minister.
Conservative Leadership
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 labour 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.S. 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 1982, 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 1982.
In her second term, from 1983 to 1987, Thatcher handled a number of conflicts and
crises, the most jarring of which may have been the assassination attempt against her in
1984. 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 1984.
That same year, she signed an agreement with the Chinese government regarding the
future of Hong Kong. Publicly, Thatcher voiced her support for Ronald Reagan's air
raids on Libya in 1986 and allowed U.S. forces to use British bases to help carry out the
attack.
Resignation
Returning for a third term in 1987, 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 taxlabelled a poll tax by many since she sought to disenfranchise those who did
not pay it. Hugely unpopular, this policy led to public protests and caused dissention
within her party.
Thatcher initially pressed on for party leadership in 1990, but eventually yielded to
pressure from party members and announced her intentions to resign on November 22,
1990. In a statement, she said, "Having consulted widely among colleagues, I have
concluded that the unity of the Party and the prospects of victory in a General Election
would be better served if I stood down to enable Cabinet colleagues to enter the ballot
for the leadership. I should like to thank all those in Cabinet and outside who have given
me such dedicated support." On November 28, 1990, Thatcher departed from 10
Downing Street, the prime minister's official residence, for the last time.
Life After Politics

Not long after leaving office, Thatcher was appointed to the House of Lords, as
Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, in 1992. She wrote about her experiences as a world
leader and a pioneering woman in the field of politics in two books: The Downing
Street Years (1993) and The Path to Power (1995). In 2002, she published the
book Statecraft, in which she offered her views on international politics.
Around this time, Thatcher suffered a series of small strokes. She then suffered a great
personal loss in 2003, when her husband of more than 50 years, Denis, died. The
following year, Thatcher had to say goodbye to an old friend and ally, Ronald Reagan.
In fragile health, Thatcher gave a eulogy at his funeral via video link, praising Reagan
as a man who "sought to mend America's wounded spirit, to restore the strength of the
free world, and to free the slaves of communism."
In 2005, Thatcher celebrated her 80th birthday. A huge event was held in her honour and
was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Tony Blair and nearly 600 other friends, family
members and former colleagues. Two years later, a sculpture of the strong conservative
leader was unveiled in the House of Commons.
Final Years and Legacy

Margaret Thatcher's health made headlines in 2010, when she missed a celebration at 10
Downing Street, held in honour of her 85th birthday by David Cameron. Later, in
November 2010, Thatcher spent two weeks in the hospital for a condition that was later
revealed to cause painful muscle inflammation. In 2011, she sat out such a number of
major events, including the wedding of Prince William in April, and the unveiling of the
Ronald Reagan sculpture in London in July. Additionally, in July 2011, Thatcher's office
in the House of Lords was permanently closed. The closure has been seen by some to
mark the end of her public life.
Battling memory problems in her later years due to her strokes, Thatcher retreated from
the spotlight, living in near seclusion at her home in London's Belgravia neighbourhood.
Margaret Thatcher died on April 8, 2013, at the age of 87. She was survived by her two
children, daughter Carol and son Sir Mark. Thatcher's policies and actions continue to
be debated by detractors and supporters alike, illustrating the indelible impression that
she has left on Britain and nations worldwide.

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Margaret Thatcher Biography

Prime Minister (19252013)

Early Foray into Politics

Britain's First Female Premier

Life After Politics

Final Years and Legacy

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