How successful was Thatcher's management of her Cabinet? Flashcards
1
Q
Why were the first few years of Thatcher’s premiership?
A
She did not have allies in senior members of cabinet. (In Shadow Cabinet)
- Had been loyal to Heath.
- Saw themselves as ‘one nation’ conservatives. –> wanted to maintain unity and spend money on employment and welfare.
- Thatcher called them ‘one-nation’ Conservative ‘wets’
2
Q
Why Thatcher had little support?
A
- Limited government experience –> had been Minister of Education under Heath
- Her gender divided opinion with Conservatives
- She disagreed with ‘one-nation’ Conservatives
3
Q
Positives in her relationship with her cabinet?
A
- Small bands of loyalists –> Her deputy (William Whitelaw) and her economic adviser (Keith Joseph)
- Backed in Commons by energetic MPs.
- Popular with grassroot members of the party –> emphasis on economic prudence, defeating socialism and restoring Britain’s greatness.
4
Q
How did Thatcher master her cabinet?
A
- Made allies (‘dries’)
- Geoffrey Howe became chancellor of the exchequer and Joseph was given Department of Trade and Industry.
- 1981 –> Moved Jim Prior from the Department of Employment and replacing him with Norman Tebbit and sacked ‘wets’
- She could promote more of her supporters.
5
Q
Why were there initially so many wets in her cabinet?
A
- She felt obliged to promote them
6
Q
How did Lawson describe Thatcherism in 1981
A
‘a mixture of free markets, financial discipline, firm control over public expenditure, tax cuts, nationalism, “Victorian values” (of the self-help variety), privatisation and a dash of populism’
7
Q
Who is Thatcher credited with influencing?
A
- President Ronald Reagan (USA)
8
Q
Personal reasons why Thatcher was liked?
A
- Roughness
- When asked if she would copy Heath’s U-turn she said ‘You turn if you want to; the lady’s not for turning’
- ‘iron lady’ image. –> unwavering hostility to USSR and 1982 Falkland’s campaign
9
Q
Criticisms of Thatcher?
A
- Switching taxes from direct to indirect taxation disproportionately hit the poor.
- Growth of ‘cardboard cities’
- Church of England bishops drew attention to problems of inner-city poor.
- In October 1987, she stated in an interview she said ‘there is no such thing as society’
