26 - The Fall Of Thatcher And Her Legacy Flashcards
What year did Thatcher win a third term in office? What was her reduced majority?
1987
100 seats
How did many of Thatcher’s colleagues feel about her in her third term? What issue was present within the Cabinet?
She was too arrogant and dominating
Quarrelling
What was Thatcher’s 3rd term beset with? What had Thatcher made in the Cabinet?
Controversy
Enemies
What was Westland? What difficulties did it face in 1986?
British helicopter company
Financial difficulties
When did The Westland Affair take place? Who stormed out and resigned after being overridden by Thatcher?
1986
Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine
What kind of company did Thatcher prefer to take over Westland? What kind of consortium did Heseltine support?
American company
European consortium
What tax did Thatcher insist on being in place? Why did her colleagues protest against it?
Poll tax
Its unpopularity and impracticality
What role did Lawson succeed in? What 2 things did he preside over?
Chancellor
Growth and deregulation
Why did Lawson resign? Who is a prominent example?
He felt Thatcher paid more attention to economic advisers
Sir Alan Walters
Who had Thatcher been unenthusiastic about closer ties with? What was she persuaded into joining?
The EU
ERM
Who made their opposition to closer European integration clear? What 2 things did they oppose?
Thatcher
Single currency and further political integration
What did Thatcher exclaim in October 1990 when asked about further European integration? Who resigned shortly after this speech?
“No! No! No!”
Deputy PM Geoffrey Howe
Whose resignation speech had a tinge of sadness? Why?
Howe’s speech
His efforts were being undermined
What defeats caused Heseltine to stand against Thatcher in 1990? What victory did Thatcher achieve in the 1st round of the leadership contest?
By-election defeats
A narrow victory
What was Thatcher convinced of in the 2nd round of the leadership contest? What happened as a consequence?
She wouldn’t win
She resigned
How did Thatcher respond when asked what she changed as PM? What was this response in reality?
“Everything!”
An exaggeration
What value did Thatcher undoubtedly bring back to Britain? What market did she develop?
Respect
Free-market
Whose power had Thatcher destroyed as PM?
Trade union power
What are Thatcher’s policies perceived as? What is an example of this?
Popular
Council house sales
What did Thatcher not reduce the role of? How did it increase with privatisation?
Government
Industry faced greater accountability and regulation
What did Thatcher fail to reduce the cost of? How did this increase?
Welfare State
More unemployed people needed benefits
What Service did Thatcher not intervene with? What other services weren’t intervened with?
NHS
Social services
What did Britain not withdraw from under Thatcher? What did she reluctantly accept?
Europe
ERM
What key economic policy was abandoned under Thatcher? How much of Britain’s manufacturing base was lost?
Monetarism
25%
What was Britain’s average growth rate in Thatcher’s government? Whose growth was this less than?
1.75%
Labour’s growth
What 2 negative economic factors grew under Thatcher?
Trade deficit
Unemployment
What economic gap grew under Thatcher?
The gap between the rich and poor
Whose incomes grew by 50% according to the Rowntree Trust? Whose incomes fell?
Top 10%
Lowest earners
How does Thatcher’s administration liken to all administrations?
It was a mix of success and failure
What cricket metaphor did Sir Geoffrey Howe use to describe serving as Deputy PM in his resignation speech?
“It is like sending your opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find… their bats have been broken by the team captain”
