New Labour 1990-2001: 1 the fall of Thatcher 1990 Flashcards
what policy arguably led to the downfall of Thatcher?
poll tax
(Lawson and Howe’s resignation also weakened Thatcher’s position)
what did opinion polls in April 1990 show and how did this impact Thatcher’s cabinet?
Labour had a 20 point lead over Cons
Cons questioned whether they could win another election with Thatcher as leader - feeling intensified over disagreements within the Cabinet over the economy and Europe
why was Heseltine resentful towards Thatcher?
the Westland Affair of 1986
who stood against Thatcher in 1989 but failed?
pro-European backbencher Anthony Meyer
however the fact that 33 MPs voted against her and 25 abstained suggested to some that Thatcher’s popularity was waning
in the first ballot, by how many votes did Thatcher win?
52 - she regarded the narrow victory as evidence she had lost the confidence of 2/5 Con MPs
members of her cabinet, some openly weeping, told her her time was up and she withdrew from the second ballot
who won the second ballot, therefore, who was Thatcher’s successor?
John Major - winning against Heseltine and Douglas Hurd (who even is Hurd?)
