| A history of the eleven years which Thatcher spent as Prime Minister of the UK. Episode1: Woman At War Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. During her time as prime minister, Thatcher's strict conservative policies, hard line against trade unions and tough rhetoric in opposition to the Soviet Union earned her the nickname the "Iron Lady". Originally a chemist, then a barrister, Thatcher became Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley in the 1959 general election. During her time in Parliament, she heavily criticised the tax policies of the Labour Government. Edward Heath appointed Thatcher Secretary of State for Education and Science in his 1970 government. In 1975 Thatcher became Leader of the Conservative Party (and Leader of the Opposition), the first woman to head a major political party in the United Kingdom. After leading her party to victory in the 1979 general election she became the UK's first female Prime Minister. After entering 10 Downing Street, Thatcher was determined to reverse what she perceived as a precipitous national decline. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation, particularly of the financial sector, flexible labour markets, the sale or closure of state-owned companies, and the withdrawal of subsidies to others. In her first few years in office, Thatcher's popularity ... |
