Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady of Great Britain
COUNTRY OF BIRTH
United Kingdom
INDUSTRY
Politics
TOP ACHIEVEMENTS
The late Baroness Margaret Thatcher was born in 1925 as Margaret Hilda Roberts. In years to come Thatcher became a political leader in the UK, and the first female prime minister. She was given the nickname of ‘Iron Lady’ because of her unrelenting political stance. Thatcher was the longest serving prime minister of Great Britain in the 20th century. She was one of the most influential politicians of the time.
Early Life
Born to a grocer, Baroness Thatcher enrolled at Oxford where she graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1947. She then studied law and graduated in 1953. Thatcher specialised in tax law. In 1959 she was elected to parliament and held junior posts at the Conservative party between 1961 and 1964. Between 1970 and 1974 she served in Edward Heath’s cabinet as secretary of state for education and science. Despite being defeated twice in general elections, the party elected Thatcher as its first female leader in 1975.
The Thatcher Revolution
Baroness Thatcher implemented a range of socio-economic changes that demolished many of the aspects of the post-war welfare state that Britain had become. Thatcher single-handedly established deregulated industries and markets and free-market economic procedures. Political AchievementsIn 1979 Baroness Thatcher led the Conservative party to electoral victory and became the prime minister of Great Britain. During her tenure Thatcher reduced the influence that trade unions have and introduced major changes along free-market lines. She reduced inflation through controlling money supply and reducing government spending – she also reduced taxes for people in a higher income bracket. Thatcher also privatised national utilities and industries and forced coal miners to end a year-long strike.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Thatcher retired from the House of Commons in 1992.
- Refused to support the Euro and integrated economic policies.
- A close ally of former US president Ronald Reagan.
