thatcher cabinet management Flashcards
why did thatcher struggle in her first years of power
she had limited government experience
her gender divided opinion among conservative MPs
she only had a few allies in the shadow cabinet
what were her cabinet strengths in the first few years
she established a small band of loyalist tories
she was popular with grassroots members of the party where her emphasis on restoring britain’s greatness was a shared objective
how did thatcher achieve cabinet mastery
she promoted people into senior roles who supported her views and policies.
however, it made her style inflexible and she was unwilling to accept alternative arguments without enquiry
why did thatcher’s leadership develop opposition
her cabinet was so refined and supportive that she couldn’t tolerate disagreement even from loyal supporters
this led to resignation of supporters who went against her in the media when expressing their experiences and independent views
why did thatcher inspire such passionate support and hatred
thatchers principles and policies to fix the country was dubbed ‘thatcherism’. admirers believed it was a necessary and radically different approach to any other government since ww2.
her personal drive was admired as she adopted an ‘iron lady’ image, through the success in the falklands and toughness in the face of adversity.
she was crediting with influencing similar change around the world, and her hostility towards the ussr was admired
conversely, why did thatcher inspire criticism in the media
the shift to indirect taxation from direct was criticised for disproportionately damaging the poor
industries who were affected by her policies such as coal mine workers became determined opponents to bring her down
she was also viewed as heartless, when remarking in an interview that ‘there is no such thing as society’
