The Iron Lady

father; schools; chemistry; influence of WWII; at Oxford; Methodism; early political allegiance; intellectual formation; research chemist; candidate in Dartford; meets Denis Thatcher; wedding; early married life; motherhood; legal career; adopted for Finchley; elected to Parliament Early career (1964 – 75): backbench MP; introduces Public Bodies Bill; supports EEC entry; Pensions minister; retains Finchley; opposition spokesman; relations with Heath; Shadow Cabinet; CPC lecture; and the ‘permissive society’; and education; Education Secretary; ‘Milk Snatcher’; and comprehensive schools; role in Heath government; Shadow Environment Secretary; influence of Keith Joseph; in February 1974 election; challenges Heath; wins Tory leadership Leader of the Opposition (1975 – 79): Leader of the Opposition; and the Tory party; supported by Whitelaw; and EEC referendum; attacks Soviet Union; visits USA; and Ronald Reagan; economic policies; and unemployment; and trade union reform; and immigration; ‘housewife economics’; image; 1979 election campaign; elected Prime Minister Prime Minister (1979 – 1990): takes office; appoints Cabinet; and the Tory ‘wets’; style of government; importance of Whitelaw; relationship with Geoffrey Howe; and the civil service; private office; influence of Denis; sale of council houses; and trade union reform; economic policy; and NHS; and monetarism; and foreign policy; and the Cold War; and the EEC budget; and Zimbabwe; and Northern Ireland; unpopularity; and unemployment; and nationalised industries; privatisation; and the miners; and 1981 riots; Cabinet reshuffles; and the Falkland islands; and the Falklands war; housing; education; nuclear weapons; and CND; wins 1983 election; relationship with Nigel Lawson; opposes ERM; and popular capitalism; and poverty; and wealth creation; relationship with Reagan; and US invasion of Grenada; and bombing of Libya; relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev; and ‘Star Wars’; and the European Community; and the European Single Market; and Jacques Delors; and the Channel Tunnel; and Hong Kong; and South Africa; and the Middle East; and the arms trade; and GCHQ; and the miners’ strike; abolition of the GLC; attack on local government; and MI5; and the Church of England; and the universities; denied Oxford degree; and the BBC; and the press; arts policy; and IRA hunger strikes; and the Anglo – Irish Agreement; escapes Brighton bomb; in the House of Commons; use of honours; and the Queen; image; health; lack of friends; and the Westland crisis; and ‘Social Thatcherism’; and the poll tax; wins 1987 election; ‘no such thing as society’; Bruges speech; and the fall of Communism; opposes German reunification; and global warming; and the Gulf War; reluctance to retire; and Lawson’s resignation; agrees to join ERM; fall from power; and Heseltine’s challenge; consults Cabinet; resigns; backs Major; leaves office In retirement (1990 – ): writes memoirs; and Yugoslavia; opposes Maastricht treaty; in 1992 election; criticizes Major; takes peerage; and Tony Blair; dementia; pays Mark’s debts; Statecraft; legacy

Thatcher, Mark (MT’s son); business activities

Thatcher Foundation

Thomas, George

Thomas, Harvey

Thorneycroft, Peter

Tickell, Sir Crispin

Times,The

Timmins, Nicholas

Tito, Marshal

trade unions

Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Trefgarne, Lord

Trudeau, Pierre

Truman, Harry S.

Turnbull, Andrew

U

Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR)

Ulster Unionists

unemployment

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

United Nations (UN).

United States of America (USA)

universities

V

Value Added Tax (VAT)

Vance, Cyrus

van der Post, Laurens

Vaughan, Janet

Victoria, Queen

W

Waddington, David

Wakeham, John

Waldegrave, William

Walden, Brian

Walden, George

Walker, Martin

Walker, Peter; as Energy Secretary

Walters, Alan

Walters, Barbara

Walters, Gen.Vernon

War Crimes Bill

Washington Post

Wass, Sir Douglas

water privatisation

Watkins, Alan

Weatherill, Bernard

Week, The

Weinberger, Caspar

Wellington, Duke of

West, Harry

Westland crisis

Whitelaw, William ; as deputy Prime Minister; as Home Secretary.

Whitmore, Clive

Whittingdale, John

Williams, Shirley