Thatcher's Legacy

Question 1

What was the rate of inflation in 1979?

Answer 1

The rate of inflation in 1979 was 16.5%

Question 2

What was the rate of inflation in 1981?

Answer 2

The rate of inflation in 1981 was 11.4%

Question 3

What was the rate of inflation in 1983?

Answer 3

The rate of inflation in 1983 was 5.1%

Question 4

What was Britain’s change in GDP in 1979?

Answer 4

Britain’s change in GDP in 1979 was 2.1%

Question 5

What was Britain’s GDP in 1980?

Answer 5

Britain’s GDP in 1980 was -4%

Question 6

What was Britain’s GDP in 1983?

Answer 6

Britain’s GDP in 1983 was 4.7%

Question 7

What was Britain’s rise in real wages between 1979-94?

Answer 7

Britain’s rise in real wages was 26% between 1979-94.

Question 8

By 1985, how many tenants had purchased their own council homes?

Answer 8

By 1985, over 800,00 tenants had begun to purchase their council homes.

Question 9

What percentage of the population were homeowners by 1990?

Answer 9

The percentage of people who were homeowners was 68% of the population in 1990, an increase of 15% since 1981.

Question 10

In what year was British Gas privatised?

Answer 10

British Gas was privatised in 1986, the largest share offer in history.

Question 11

Between 1979-90, what was the increase in the number of people owning shares?

Answer 11

Between 1979-90, the number of people owning stocks increases by 6 million.

Question 12

By how much did manufacturing output fall in 2 years?

Answer 12

Manufacturing output fell by 15% in 2 years

Question 13

By how much was steel production cut by under Thatcher?

Answer 13

Steel production was cut by 30% to less than 14 million tonnes under Thatcher.

Question 14

By 1983, what level did unemployment rise to?

Answer 14

By 1983 unemployment rose to over 3 million (highest level in the post-war period).

Question 15

What was the date of the ‘big bang’ and what was the affect on GDP?

Answer 15

The ‘big bang’ took place on 27 October 1986 and GDP grew by 2.2%.

Question 16

When was BT denationalised?

Answer 16

BT was denationalised in 1984.

Question 17

When did Thatcher sell off North Sea Gas & Oil to the private sector?

Answer 17

In 1982, Thatcher sold off the majority of shareholdings in British National Oil Corporation to the private sector.

Question 18

How many pits were the government planning to close in the mid-1980s?

Answer 18

In the mid-1980s the government was planning to close 75 pits.

Question 19

How many strikers and policemen were injured at the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ in 1984?

Answer 19

There were 51 strikers and 72 policemen were injured at the ‘Battle of Orgrave’ in 1984.

Question 20

How many people did the coal industry employ in 1979 and 1990?

Answer 20

The coal industry employed 200,000 people in 1979 and 60,000 in 1990.

Question 21

What percentage of people, according to polls, supported the government during the miners’ strike and what did this demonstrate?

Answer 21

The fact that 65% of the public supported Thatcher was a key indicator that most people no longer relied on the industry for their jobs.

Question 22

What was the USA’s rise in real wages between 1979-94?

Answer 22

The USA’s rise in real wages between 1979-94 was -7%