Poltics: Media & Voting -1983 Flashcards
What event led to Margaret Thatcher coming to power?
Thatcher came to power due to Labour unpopularity after the Winter of Discontent of 1978/9.
What was the state of the Labour Party during Thatcher’s premiership?
The Labour Party faced deep divisions and a full split in the early 1980s.
What significant social change occurred during Thatcher’s time in office?
Many manufacturing industries, once home to large trade unions, were in decline.
What was the unemployment rate during Thatcher’s premiership?
Unemployment reached 2 million for the first time and later passed 3 million in 1982.
What was Thatcher’s response to calls for a ‘U-turn’ on spending cuts?
She replied, ‘You turn if you want to, the Lady’s not for turning!’
What riots occurred in 1981?
Race riots took place in several English cities, including Brixton, Handsworth, Chapeltown, and Toxteth.
What was the outcome of the hunger strike by IRA prisoners?
Bobby Sands died during the hunger strike, leading to international condemnation of the government’s handling of the situation.
What major military conflict did Thatcher engage in during her premiership?
Thatcher sent a taskforce to retake the Falkland Islands after Argentina’s invasion in 1982.
What was a key moment in the Falklands conflict?
The sinking of the General Belgrano, which Thatcher personally ordered.
How did the Falklands War affect Thatcher’s popularity?
Public support for the war contributed to her landslide victory in the 1983 General Election.
What was the National Union of Mineworkers’ strike about?
The NUM went on strike against the closure of numerous pits, leading to conflict with the government.
What infamous event occurred during the miners’ strike?
The Battle of Orgreave, marked by bloody conflict between pickets and police.
What was the IRA’s attempt on Thatcher’s life?
The IRA bombed the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party conference, killing five people.
What was the Westland affair?
A disagreement between Thatcher and Michael Heseltine that exacerbated tensions within her cabinet.
What did Thatcher famously say about society?
She stated, ‘There is no such thing as society; there are just individuals and their families.’
What was the outcome of the 1987 general election?
Thatcher’s government won another election against Neil Kinnock’s Labour Party, maintaining a comfortable majority.
What protests occurred in 1990?
Riots in London against the Community Charge (Poll Tax) and prison riots at Strangeways.
What issues dominated the closing years of Thatcher’s premiership?
The Poll Tax and divisions about Europe led to her downfall.
