Mark Henderson answered
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ) is a former British Prime Minister. She is the only woman to have ever held the office and was the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
Thatcher has been credited with introducing a new political ideology to Britain. She dismissed the one nation conservatism of Edward Heath and instead fused together elements of traditional Tory thinking and Libertarianism.
Margaret Thatcher does not have any Royal connections, and was born in Grantham, a town in Lincolnshire in 1925. She served as British Prime Minister from 1979 - 1990, and she tended to polarize public opinion during her time in the post.
Margaret Thatcher in office
In Thatcher's first term of office the economy suffered, and there were numerous confrontations with powerful trade unions. She also set about trying to reverse the policy of nationalization carried out under the previous Labour Governments, and her policy of privatization has become a crucial element of the wider ideology of Thatcherism.
Following Britain's victory in the Falklands war, the public's opinion of Thatcher improved dramatically: She was seen as a defiant, inspirational and committed war leader.
Post premiership and retirement
Margaret Thatcher was ousted as Prime Minister in 1990, but carried on serving as a back-bench MP until 1992, when she retired from politics. Since leaving office her ideology continues to have a profound effect on Britain's political climate, and even Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (both Labour PM's) have cited Thatcher as a huge influence on their political beliefs.
Later years and illness
Thatcher's husband Dennis died in 2003, after she had suffered a succession of minor strokes in 2002, which have led her to limit her public speaking to a significant degree. However, she did attend Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004 and paid tribute to the American President, who had been a close ally and personal friend. Margaret Thatcher's public appearances continue to be severely limited due to her failing health and since 2008 she has been suffering from dementia.
Thatcher has been credited with introducing a new political ideology to Britain. She dismissed the one nation conservatism of Edward Heath and instead fused together elements of traditional Tory thinking and Libertarianism.
Margaret Thatcher does not have any Royal connections, and was born in Grantham, a town in Lincolnshire in 1925. She served as British Prime Minister from 1979 - 1990, and she tended to polarize public opinion during her time in the post.
Margaret Thatcher in office
In Thatcher's first term of office the economy suffered, and there were numerous confrontations with powerful trade unions. She also set about trying to reverse the policy of nationalization carried out under the previous Labour Governments, and her policy of privatization has become a crucial element of the wider ideology of Thatcherism.
Following Britain's victory in the Falklands war, the public's opinion of Thatcher improved dramatically: She was seen as a defiant, inspirational and committed war leader.
Post premiership and retirement
Margaret Thatcher was ousted as Prime Minister in 1990, but carried on serving as a back-bench MP until 1992, when she retired from politics. Since leaving office her ideology continues to have a profound effect on Britain's political climate, and even Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (both Labour PM's) have cited Thatcher as a huge influence on their political beliefs.
Later years and illness
Thatcher's husband Dennis died in 2003, after she had suffered a succession of minor strokes in 2002, which have led her to limit her public speaking to a significant degree. However, she did attend Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004 and paid tribute to the American President, who had been a close ally and personal friend. Margaret Thatcher's public appearances continue to be severely limited due to her failing health and since 2008 she has been suffering from dementia.
