Why did Thatcher inspire such passionate support and hatred? Flashcards
To her supporters what was Thatcher?
A resolute leader who brought about extensive change and arrested the national decline symbolised by the events of the 1970s
What did her supporters believe?
That she was implementing a coherent set of principles called Thatcherism
Admirers believed such a programme was necessary and radically different from the approach of all post-war governments
What did her supporters credit it with?
Influencing similar changes around the world
What were there many of?
People who had strong economic reasons to support her, particularly those who benefited from council house sales, privatisation, and deregulation
What was she admired for and why?
Her toughness
Said ‘the lady’s not turning’
What cemented her iron lady image?
Her focus on victory in the Falklands campaign and her hostility to the USSR
What did her determination and self-confidence make her?
Different from the run-of-the-mill politicians
What did her critics acknowledge?
The clarity and resolution she displayed in tackling crises
What was she criticised for?
Shifting the emphasis of the tax system from direct to indirect taxation as it disproportionately hit the poor
Who became implacable opponents?
Those who lost their jobs in the industries hit hardest by her policies
What did the middle classes feel?
That Thatcher had created a culture of vulgar need that ignored the plight of the dispossessed people
What were the middle classes disturbed by?
The growth of ‘cardboard cities’ and the plight of the poor in inner cities
What did Thatcher say in 1987?
‘there is no such thing as a society’
