The Iron Lady of British politics Margaret Thatcher: biography, political activities and interesting facts. Short biography of Margaret Thatcher

Former British Prime Minister and legendary leader of the Conservative Party, Margaret Thatcher, has died at her home.

The "Iron Lady", Baroness Thatcher, the first female prime minister in British history to hold this post more than anyone else in modern Europe (from 1979 to 1990), heralded an entire era, largely determining the direction of development of Great Britain for many years. Unique - in almost everything she did in politics. Courage and sometimes a certainty bordering on stubbornness, pushing her to actions and decisions that seemed insanity even to her comrades-in-arms, but which gave her the right to become a part of world history. It was she who was the first Western politician to discern a future reformer in young Mikhail Gorbachev and told the West that it was possible and necessary to deal with him. She was the first to say about the end cold war.

Thatcher, in fact, became the first woman in politics in the 20th century, who turned the idea of ​​that very politics as a sphere of total control of men.

From hockey and chemistry to law and politics

Future British Prime Minister Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, in a middle-class family with no frills. His father owned two grocery stores and was a Methodist pastor, which left a certain imprint on the upbringing of Margaret and her older sister Muriel. The father instilled in the girls the principles of strict discipline, diligence and striving for self-improvement.

The girl's hobbies in her youth were completely diverse - from playing the piano and writing poetry to field hockey and walking, but when the time came to choose a career, Margaret decided to devote herself to chemistry.

In 1943 she moved to Oxford and studied natural sciences at Somerville College, Oxford University for four years. In 1947, the girl leaves the university with a second degree diploma and a bachelor of science degree.

Margaret received some initial understanding of politics as a child. Her father was a member of the city council and even a year - from 1945 to 1946 - served as mayor of Grantham.

In her last year at the university, Margaret headed the student association of the Conservative Party and even then became interested in reading books on political topics. By her own admission, in those years, the development of her political views was greatly influenced by Friedrich von Hayek's book "The Road to Slavery".

After graduation, Margaret gets a job as a celluloid plastics research chemist at BX Plastics in Essex. At the same time, she does not forget about her political predilections, taking an active part in the life of the local cell of the Conservative Party. She then moved to Dartford, taking up a position as a research chemist at J. Lyons and Co. But she ended up opting for politics over a career as a chemist. On the recommendation of one of the university friends, Margaret was included in the electoral list of the Conservative Party in Dartford in 1951. Here she meets her future husband, entrepreneur Denis Thatcher.

In the general elections of February 1950 and October 1951, Margaret becomes the youngest and only female Tory candidate. Although she did not win the election, it was an invaluable experience that eventually led her to the British Parliament.

Seeing that Margaret is more inclined to politics than chemistry, her husband advises her to get additional higher education - a lawyer. In 1953 Thatcher became a lawyer with a qualification of a barrister and a specialization in tax matters. For five years, she worked as an enthusiastic lawyer while caring for twins, Mark and Carol, who were born to the couple in 1953.

Downing Street 10

The 1959 Finchley County elections won the future prime minister. Margaret became a member of the House of Commons, taking over as chairman of the Parliamentary Pension Committee, combining this position with the head of the National Security Committee. From the very first public appearances, she proved to be an extraordinary politician and two years later received the post of Deputy Minister of Pensions and State Social Security in the cabinet of Harold Macmillan.

After the defeat of the Conservatives in the 1964 elections, Thatcher joined the shadow cabinet, becoming the party's representative on housing and land ownership.

When Conservative Edward Heath became prime minister in 1970, he called Margaret Thatcher, who became the only female minister, to his office. For 4 years she headed the Ministry of Education and from the very first steps she established herself as a tough politician. Heath challenged Thatcher to cut costs in education and science as quickly as possible. And Margaret took it up zealously, too much. She carried out a series of reforms that led to a reduction in government subsidies to the education system, including the abolition of free milk for schoolchildren aged 7 to 11. For this, Thatcher received from her Labor opponents her first high-profile political nickname: Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher (translated from of English language"Margaret Thatcher, the Milk Thief"). Later in his autobiography " The Iron Lady"admits that she made a serious mistake then, which could cost her a political career:" I learned a valuable lesson. Has incurred the maximum of political hatred for the minimum of political gain. "

In February 1974, parliamentary elections were held in the country, in which the Laborites won with a minimal advantage. In the ranks of the "Tories" dissatisfaction with the leader began to ripen, which ultimately led to his replacement. A year later, in the very first round of voting in the election of the chairman of the party, Thatcher bypassed Heath and on February 11 officially led the Tory party, becoming the first woman leader of the leading political party in Great Britain.

From that moment on, the career of the future prime minister went confidently uphill. A landslide victory for the Conservatives in the 1979 House of Commons elections, in a situation where the country was paralyzed by the economic crisis and endless strikes, brought Thatcher to 10 Downing Street, making it the only woman ever to hold such a high office in the country.

"The Iron Lady"

The nickname "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher owes to Soviet journalists. In January 1976, Thatcher sharply criticized the USSR: "The Russians are in the mood for world domination ... They chose cannons instead of oil, while for us almost everything else is more important than cannons." The military columnist for the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, Yuri Gavrilov, in an article dated December 24, 1976, responded by calling the opposition leader an "iron lady", and British journalists later translated it as an iron lady. And it should be noted that throughout her political career Thatcher proved that the nickname turned out to be very accurate.

Despite the toughness in politics, it was she who contributed to softening Western attitudes towards Soviet Union... In 1984, when receiving in London, not the Secretary General, but a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev, Thatcher saw in him not only an interesting interlocutor, but also a politician of a new quality. And she was not mistaken - a few months later Gorbachev, having become General Secretary, began perestroika. “I have never had such long conversations with anyone,” she admitted in an interview.

The first contact allowed her to then develop a relationship of trust with the Soviet leader. And then transfer this trust to Soviet-American relations. The role of the "iron lady" in the end of the Cold War was most accurately defined by the equally tough master of world politics, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger: “For the United States, she was a reliable and firm ally. last years During the Cold War, she was the first or one of the first leaders of the Allied countries to recognize the possibility of an end to the Cold War, recognizing the flexibility that Gorbachev gave to Soviet politics. "

"Turn around yourself, the lady will not turn!"

Thatcher's arrival in big politics marked a sharp turn in the situation in the country and led ultimately to the most significant transformation of the country's political and economic life.

The Thatcher cabinet inherited from the Laborites a country torn apart by financial and social problems: high inflation, strikes by workers in the extractive industries, and growing racist sentiments in society.

Over the 11 years of her premiership, Thatcher has had a number of tough economic reforms aimed at reducing the participation of the state in the economy and increasing revenues to the state treasury, including the privatization of sectors of the economy, where the state monopoly traditionally reigned (heavy industry, public transport), and a reduction in spending in the social sphere. Thatcher was an ardent defender of monetarism, restricting trade unions to strict legal frameworks and a supporter of "shock therapy" measures and lowering direct taxes on income while raising indirect taxes. Later, the reforms were defined as "Thatcherism".

Many of the reforms carried out by Thatcher’s cabinet, in which the “iron lady” had not only supporters, but also opponents, were unpopular and displeased various segments of the population. Subsidies to the state enterprises remaining after privatization were cut, aid to depressed regions was cut, spending on the social sphere was cut, and the discount rate was increased. In the early 80s, unemployment in the country exceeded all conceivable limits, reaching 3 million people (the most high level from the 30s).

At the Conservative Party conference in October 1980, the Iron Lady replied to her opponents in the party: “We will not deviate from our course. , I can only say one thing: "Turn around yourself, if you really want to, but the Lady will not turn!".

By 1987, the situation in the economy began to improve: the unemployment rate dropped significantly, foreign investors became more active, and inflation dropped. As a result, the Conservatives won the parliamentary elections again.

War with Argentina, Trade Unions and Terrorists

Over the 11 years of her premiership, Thatcher had to face a serious crisis more than once, which could have ended her political career. And each time she emerged victorious from the war.

In response to Argentina's 1982 occupation of the disputed territory of the Falkland Islands, Thatcher, without hesitation, sent warships to the region, and British control over the islands was restored in a matter of weeks. The small victorious war sparked a storm of controversy around the world, but at home raised Thatcher's popularity to unprecedented heights, which ensured the Conservatives victory in the parliamentary elections in 1983.

The third term of the premiership was the most difficult for Margaret Thatcher and was marked by serious social confrontation. The government's decision to close 20 of the 174 state-owned mines and cut 20,000 jobs in the industry led to a nationwide strike of miners, which later spread to other sectors of the economy (metallurgy, transport). Thatcher refused to accept the conditions of the strikers and not only make concessions, but generally to any negotiations.

The prime minister compared the miners' strike to the Falklands crisis: “We had to fight an enemy outside the country, in the Falkland Islands.

A year later, the government closed 25 unprofitable mines, the rest were soon privatized.

Another time bomb, planted at the beginning of the 20th century, exploded in the early 80s in Northern Ireland. In 1981, representatives of the IRA (Irish Republican Army), who were serving their sentences at Mays Prison in Northern Ireland, went on a hunger strike, demanding the return of their status as political prisoners. Thatcher was irreconcilable here, despite calls from the world community to make concessions to terrorists. And even the death of ten terrorists who had been on hunger strike for more than two months did not make her change her principles. Irish terrorists in revenge attempted to assassinate Thatcher by assassinating her on October 12, 1984. Fortunately, Thatcher was not injured, although five people were killed in a bomb in a Brighton hotel during a Tory conference. Despite the terrorist attack, Thatcher did not cancel her speech, thereby increasing the number of party supporters.

Baroness

Such a tough intransigence on many issues every year caused more and more discontent in the ranks of Thatcher's supporters in the party and, in the end, led to her resignation. The last straw was her categorical rejection of the idea of ​​full UK participation in the European monetary system. The proposed poll tax law has also become unpopular.

In November 1990, Margaret Thatcher announced her voluntary resignation "in the name of party unity and the prospect of winning the general election." The party was led by then Treasury Secretary John Major.

In 1990, Margaret Thatcher received the Order of Merit, and on June 26, 1992, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted her the title of Baroness of Kenteven (a place in her home county of Lincolnshire). At the same time, Thatcher became a lifelong member of the House of Lords and remained an active politician for quite a long time.

In recent years, health and age have less and less allowed Baroness Thatcher to participate in public life. She penned two volumes of memoirs. Nevertheless, she continued to appear from time to time in public, invariably elegant, with which became her talisman and business card handbags. So, at the end of May 2010, she attended the inauguration of a new session of the British Parliament with the participation of Queen Elizabeth II. But in 2012, she missed the Downing Street 60th Anniversary Dinner.

Once, in 1980, Margaret Thatcher said in an interview on British television the following words, which perfectly define the essence of this brilliant politician:

"I am not hard, I am terribly soft. But I will never let myself be bullied. I cannot tolerate feeling like someone wants to direct me anywhere against my will ... .. I am the leader of the pack. But what kind of leader is he if he is not leading the pack? Of course they are behind me. If they were in front of me, they would be the leaders. "

- the greatest statesman, public and political figure, Prime Minister of Great Britain. The period of her reign is characterized by adamant, rigid adherence to the chosen course, despite the disagreement, criticism and resistance of others, later called Thatcherism. Today, the postulates of Thatcherism are shared by all the main parties in the country, even its constant opponents and opponents - Labor. During her years as Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher gained a reputation as the Iron Lady and is still the only woman to hold this post in the UK. She was born in the small English town of Grantham on October 13, 1925. She was the second daughter of grocer Alfred Roberts and part-time seamstress Beatrice Stevenson. Despite his primary education, Margaret's father read a lot and constantly updated his knowledge.

Thirst for knowledge, hard work, thrift, interest in politics - character traits that passed to Margaret from her father. The father adored his daughter and tried to mold her into an ideal, he did not recognize the expressions "I can not" or "too difficult." Margaret will remember his admonitions not to follow the crowd for fear of being different for the rest of her life, her father, on the contrary, advised her to lead the crowd. When Margaret was in high school, her father became mayor of Grantham, she often went with him to council meetings, which helped her to understand the intricacies of political leadership from childhood. And while working in the warehouse of a store owned by her parents, she learned the basics of business and entrepreneurship in practice.

Thanks to dedication and perseverance, she entered the best college in Oxford - Somerville, which she successfully graduated in 1947, receiving a higher education and the profession of a chemist. At university, she joined a conservative association, which she will soon lead. After graduating from university, she works as a chemist at a plastics manufacturing firm in Mannington, Essex and later in London. However, the career of a chemist does not appeal to her, since her heart is devoted to politics and the law.

She agrees to stand as a candidate in the 1950 parliamentary elections in one of the constituencies, but the first attempt to make a political career was unsuccessful. During the election campaign, Margaret meets businessman Denis Thatcher, whom she marries in December 1951. The marriage freed her from financial worries and in 1951, Margaret Thatcher entered law school. After graduating in 1953 with a law degree, she works as a specialist in tax law. In August 1953, twins were born into the Thatcher family - daughter Carol and son Mark. In 1959, she takes part in the election race for a seat in Parliament and gets into the House of Commons in Finchley County. In 1961, she was appointed to the post of junior minister for pensions and public insurance.

In 1964-1970, she entered the opposition "shadow cabinet" of the government of Edward Heath, who was forced to recognize her as a woman of great potential. When the Conservatives came to power in 1970-1974, and Heath was elected prime minister, Thatcher was the only woman in his government and headed the Department of Education. Here she was forced to resort to very unpopular measures and in order to save money, she canceled the free distribution of milk for students. primary grades... In 1975, the Liberal Party came to power, but Thatcher was able to retain her ministerial portfolio. In 1975, Thatcher replaced E. Heath and became the leader of the Conservative Party. By 1979, an economic crisis was brewing in the country; it was losing its spheres of influence in the world economy and politics.

In 1979, the Conservatives won a landslide victory in the elections to the House of Commons, and their leader, Margaret Thatcher, becomes the first female prime minister in the history of all of Europe. During her tenure in office, Thatcher acquired a reputation as the Iron Lady. All work in the government she headed was built on clear command, accountability and enormous personal responsibility. ti. During her 11 years as head of government, she carried out a number of tough economic reforms. The government adhered to a tight monetarist policy, the activities of trade unions were limited by the framework of the law, at the same time, the scale of its interference in the economy was reduced. Sectors of the economy, which were traditionally a monopoly of the state (aviation, telecommunications companies, gas giant British Gas), value added tax was raised. Argentina's occupation of the disputed Falkland Islands in 1982 forced Thatcher to send warships there, helping to regain British control of the area within weeks. This fact played a decisive role in the election victory of the Conservatives in 1983.

In the parliamentary elections of 1987, the Conservatives won again victory and formed the government by a majority of votes, the leader of their party, Margaret Thatcher, took the place of prime minister for the third term in a row. Her cabinet has carried out a series of reforms in education and health care and judicial system, not meeting the interests of people employed in these areas, a wave of indignation and protest was caused by the communal tax. She was highly criticized for her disagreement with European Union policy on many issues. In November 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned for the sake of party unity and the prospect of winning the general election. In 1990, she was awarded the Order of Merit, and on June 26, 1992, Elizabeth II honored her with the title of Baroness. Margaret Thatcher died on April 8, 2013, a memorial service for the ex-Prime Minister of Great Britain was held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Baroness Margaret Hilda Thatcher (Margaret HildaThatcher, BaronessThatcher, October 13, 1925 - April 8, 2013) is the first and only woman leader of the country and prime minister. Since 1992, she received the title of Baroness, and a little later, due to negative and very harsh remarks about the Soviet authorities, she acquired the nickname "The Iron Lady", which remained for her and even went down in history.

Childhood

Margaret Roberts (that was her maiden name) was born on October 13 in the town of Grantham. Her father owned several grocery stores, and her mother helped him run a small business. Like her older sister, Margaret from early childhood was taught everything that their father did in the shop: serving customers, searching for goods in the warehouse and much more.

Since the family did not have their own home, they had to rent a space above one of the grocery stores, where they huddled.

As Margaret herself admitted, practically no one was involved in their upbringing with her sister, however, for any offenses they were seriously punished by their parents. Since both father and mother also belonged to a religious community, they raised their children according to all the canons of the church and did not allow disobedience on their part. That is why both girls grew up diligent and restrained persons who always remembered modesty and were not forgotten, being in the company of adults.

Initially, young Margaret was sent to study at a regular high school on Huntingtower Road, but a few months later, the parents learned that the girl wrote a refusal on her own and asked to go to the Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School. She was successfully transferred and already there, after spending several months with a new pupil, the teachers realized what kind of treasure they took under their care. The girl was incredibly talented and longed for a good, in-depth study of disciplines.

Thanks to the excellent, strict upbringing that her parents promoted, she was eager to learn as much as possible. In particular, in school years Margaret enrolled in field hockey, swimming, walking, piano and painting courses. And the teachers of absolutely all electives unanimously praised the modest and diligent student, predicted a great future for her in many areas.

Youth and the beginning of a political career

After graduating from high school, Margaret Roberts enters Sommerville College in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The girl wanted to receive a scholarship, therefore, while still a schoolgirl, she applied for a grant, but, unfortunately, she was refused.

However, fate turned out to be favorable to her: a few months after that, one of the fellows admitted to college refused to study for health reasons, and Margaret was first on the list of applicants for the vacant position. So, a talented young lady was admitted to the Faculty of Natural Sciences, where she began to study chemistry and X-ray structural analysis with pleasure. By the way, she successfully graduated from Sommerville College with a bachelor's degree.

After graduating from college and entering Oxford University, Roberts became interested in political life educational institution. At that time, school associations were very popular, therefore, having found the Conservative Party at the university, the student happily joined the team. This was followed by a series of fairly successful speeches and debates, where the main actor it was Thatcher who performed. According to her college friends, the girl always suggested correct solution and in a short time could find a way out of any situation. In addition, she was an excellent speaker, whom the students of the university listened to and heard.

In 1948, Margaret, along with members of the Conservative Party, goes to political event in Llandudno, where he speaks to students at another university. Her speech impresses students and teachers so much that they decide to include her in the already approved list of candidates for elections that are to be held soon. And already in 1951, Thatcher learns that her candidacy was indeed nominated as a candidate for a post in the country's parliament.

Electoral victory and further career

The rise of Margaret Thatcher as a member of parliament did not happen immediately. Initially, the Conservative Party, for which it ran, lost with a negligible number of votes. However, the young woman tries herself again and again in politics, so by 1959 she takes her place in the House of Commons.

Despite her good oratory skills, at first few people listened to the words of Margaret Thatcher. She dealt with issues housing defending the interests of workers, voted for the restoration of more severe penalties for different kinds crimes and was in the shadow sector of the State Treasury, but nowhere she was taken seriously.

The situation changed in 1970, when Edward Hitch became the leader of the Conservative Party, and Margaret Thatcher was appointed Minister of Education and Science. As a minister, a woman changes a lot in education. In particular, it cuts taxation of educational institutions and introduces additional benefits in this area. In addition, she votes for the introduction of bonuses in the form of free milk to schoolchildren, while the issuance of pints of this product to young children is not reduced. This attitude causes outrage among the Labor Party and the media, because the country has never given such an amount of milk.

By 1979, despite constant controversy with other parties, the Conservative Party was winning the election with over 80% of the popular vote. This means that Margaret Thatcher is the country's prime minister and becomes the first and only woman to achieve such impressive victories. It is worth noting that in her post she achieves no less progressive results. It is restoring an economy that has been long period was gripped by the problems of rising inflation and unemployment.

Thatcher strengthens and expands UK diplomatic relations with other countries, reduces taxation and tries to do as much as possible for its citizens. That is why the nickname "Iron Lady", given to Margaret in the negative sense of the USSR, is rather positive for the British themselves, because their prime minister is so firm and confident that he is ready to do anything for their well-being.

Prime Minister of Great Britain

Despite her husband's health problems (cancer), Margaret Thatcher continues to build her own career, without spending time with her family. She appears new idea- to become the head of the Conservative Party, which lost in the 1974 elections. The woman promised that the changes in the party charters would be cardinal and successful, and in 1979 she stood on the podium, taking over as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

The "Iron Lady" got the government in difficult years for the country: the economic crisis, inflation, strikes, unemployment, hostilities in the Falkland Islands. The reform process was inevitable, and Thatcher had to make super-tough decisions in order to achieve the prosperity of the state.

The Prime Minister made a profitable bet by forging relations with the British colonies in Africa, and strengthened the country's position in the region.

In 1984, an attempt on the life of the Irish Republican Army was organized on the powerful politician. As a result, five innocent people died, and Thatcher and her husband managed to escape.

Resignation

In the 1989 elections for the chairman of the Conservative Party, Thatcher was challenged by a little-known member of the House of Commons, Anthony Mayer. Of the 374 members of parliament who were members of the Conservative Party and had the right to vote, 314 voted for Thatcher, while 33 voted for Mayer. Her party supporters considered the result a success and rejected any claims of divisions within the party.

During her premiership, Thatcher had the second lowest average level of popular support (about 40%) among all post-war British prime ministers. Opinion polls indicated that her popularity was below that of the Conservative Party. However, the self-confident Thatcher always insisted that she had little interest in various ratings, pointing to record support during the parliamentary elections.

According to opinion polls conducted in September 1990, the Labor Party's rating was 14% higher than the Conservative rating, and by November the Laborites were already 18% behind the Labor Party. The above ratings, as well as Thatcher's belligerent personality and her disregard for the opinions of her colleagues, caused disagreements within the Conservative Party. As a result, it was the party that got rid of Margaret Thatcher first.

On November 1, 1990, Geoffrey Howe, the last of Thatcher’s first Cabinet in 1979, resigned as Deputy Prime Minister after Thatcher refused to agree on a timeline for Britain to join the single European currency.

The next day, Michael Heseltine announced his desire to lead the Conservative Party. According to opinion polls, it was his personality that could help the Conservatives overtake Labor. Although Thatcher managed to take first place in the first round of voting, Heseltine secured enough votes (152 votes) for a second round. Margaret originally intended to continue the fight to the bitter end in the second round. After an audience with the Queen and her closing speech in the House of Commons, Thatcher stepped down as prime minister. She considered her removal from office a betrayal.

The post of British Prime Minister and Chairman of the Conservative Party passed to John Major, who led the Conservative Party to win the 1992 parliamentary elections.

Personal life

Margaret meets her future husband, Denis Thatcher, quite by accident. The man was a good adolescent and once he was invited to a celebration, where the budding politician Margaret was also present. After talking, young people understand how much they have in common. A couple of months later, the general public becomes aware that Margaret changed her last name to Thatcher and secretly married a lawyer.

For some time, many politicians and celebrities predict a quick parting for them, because because of the tight schedule, a woman should not have time for her personal life. But accustomed to difficulties and numerous activities, Margaret remains faithful to her husband until the end of her days.

Sickness and death

In the last years of her life, Margaret Thatcher was seriously ill. On December 21, 2012, she underwent surgery to remove a bladder tumor. Thatcher died in the early morning of April 8, 2013 at the age of 88 at the Ritz Hotel in central London, where she lived after she was discharged from the hospital at the end of 2012. The cause of death was a stroke.

The funeral service was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London with military honors. Back in 2005, Thatcher drew up a detailed plan for her funeral, and preparations for them have been carried out since 2007 - all events in which the queen takes part are planned in advance. At her funeral, according to the plan, the "iron lady" wished the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, members of the royal family, as well as major political figures of the Thatcher era, including ex-President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev (he could not come for health reasons). According to Thatcher's last will, the orchestra performed selected works by the English composer Edward Elgar. After the memorial service, cremation took place, and the ashes, according to the will of the deceased, were buried next to her husband Denis in the cemetery of the military hospital in the London district of Chelsea. The funeral took place on April 17 and cost £ 6 million.

Thatcher's opponents, of whom there are also quite a few, celebrated vigorously and threw street parties in honor of the ex-prime minister's death. The song "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead" from the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz" was performed. In April 2013, the song became popular again and reached number two on the UK's Official Consolidated Chart.

Heritage

For Thatcher supporters, she remains a political figure who was able to rebuild the British economy, deal a significant blow to trade unions and restore Britain's image as a world power. During her premiership, the number of British residents who owned shares increased from 7 to 25%; more than a million families have purchased homes previously owned by municipal councils, increasing the number of homeowners from 55% to 67%. Overall personal wealth increased by 80%. Victory in the Falklands War and a close alliance with the United States are also considered one of its most important achievements.

At the same time, Thatcher's premiership was marked by high unemployment and regular strikes. Most critics blame unemployment on the issue of unemployment. economic policy, which was heavily influenced by the ideas of monetarism. This problem, in turn, has become the reason for the spread of drug addiction and family divorces. Speaking in April 2009 in Scotland, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of her election as prime minister, Thatcher insisted that she had no regrets about her actions during the premiership, including the issue of the poll tax and the refusal to subsidize "obsolete industry whose sales markets were in decline. "

Thatcher's tenure was the longest in the 20th century since Salisbury (1885, 1886-1892 and 1895-1902) and the longest continuous tenure since Lord Liverpool (1812-1827).

• In 1992, Margaret Thatcher was awarded the title of Baroness, bestowed on her by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
• Margaret's style of government is noted in history as a period of "Thatcherism".
• In 2009, the feature film "Margaret" was released about the life of the famous politician, and in 2011 - "The Iron Lady", which won the "Oscar".
• To pursue a political career, Margaret was inspired by the book "The Road to Slavery" by the writer Friedrich von Hayek.
• In 2007, Thatcher erected a monument (bronze sculpture) in the British Parliament.

Her tenure as Prime Minister of Great Britain lasted 3 terms, for a total of 11 years. It was a difficult time - then the country was in a deep socio-economic crisis, England was called "the sick man of Europe." Margaret managed to revive the former authority of foggy Albion and ensure the preponderance of forces in favor of the Conservatives.

"Thatcherism" in politics

This term designates the attitudes that were characteristic of Margaret Thatcher in ideology, morality, politics. She tried to implement them when she was prime minister.

Its main characteristic can be called “the right to inequality”. The politician argued that it is natural for a person to move towards something good, better than he has at the moment. Thatcher advocated free enterprise and initiative for profit. However, at the same time, she denounced the "passion for money for the sake of money."

For Tetcherism, equality is a mirage. And the right to inequality, in turn, pushes a person to stand out, self-improvement and improving the quality of his own life. That is why she did not condemn wealth, but, on the contrary, called on all citizens of the country to make efforts to increase it in order to further increase the standard of living.

Childhood

Margaret Thatcher (Roberts) was born in 1925 on October 13 in Grantham, near London towards the north. Her family lived modestly, without frills, one might say, ascetic for the way of people Western Europe... There was no running water in the house, and the amenities were also outside. The family had two daughters, Muriel - the eldest, and Margaret - 4 years younger than her.

The eldest in everything was similar to her mother - Beatrice, while the youngest was an exact copy of Alfred's father. She was reputed to be his favorite, so from early childhood, the parent began to instill in her all those qualities that later helped her greatly in adult life and turned into a symbol of the era of conservatism in Great Britain of the 20th century.

At the age of 5, Margaret began taking piano lessons, and after another 4 years she won a poetry competition. At the awards ceremony, the headmaster told Margaret that she was very lucky, to which she replied: "It's not luck, it's merit." From an early age, she grew up as a debater, so she was a permanent member of the discussion club and in early years she answered the questions posed with full meaningful answers, in contrast to her peers, who “get off” with only interjections.

Father is ideal for Margaret

Alfred had a primary education, but he was distinguished by a thirst for new knowledge, as a result of which he did not spend a day without reading. He instilled this quality in his daughter. They went to the library together and borrowed two books for a week with the aim of reading them one by one.

It was the father who instilled in little Margaret the quality of being different from everyone. He instilled in her that a person should "lead" and not be "led". To do this, it was necessary to work day after day, thinking about the future and about their position in society. Alfred said many times: you don't need to act just because others are doing it.

Her father was an ideal for her, little Margaret believed that he knew everything. Its characteristic feature was the thirst for knowledge. She had a craving for new information and experience. Margaret attended council meetings with her father, acquiring a taste for politics, theatricality and eloquence. Then she was 10 years old.

For many years Margaret Thatcher remembered the instructions of her father, and walked with them through life. It was he who brought up in the child the foundations that today the whole world calls the capacious term "tetcherism".

Thatcher's versatile education

Growing up, Margaret remained as conservative as in early childhood. The reason for this was the views on the life of her beloved dad. He was a representative of Protestantism with all the ensuing consequences, in addition, a grocery businessman. She never went to dance or to watch movies, but she started working early in the warehouse of the Roberts family store, where she got acquainted with the basics of business and making a profit.

At the same time, she showed determination - in 4 years she learned Latin language, for admission to the most prestigious women's college in Oxford - Somerville. Her roommate recalled that Margaret got up when it was still dark and tried to learn something. The second course of study was difficult: she fell in love with the earl's son, but his mother brutally rejected the girl, saying that the daughter of a simple grocer was not like her son.

The ambitious girl understood more and more that politics was conquering her soul. Margaret Thatcher actively participated in political debate and during these years joined the Conservative Association, and in 1946 became its first female president.

In 1947, she completed her education at Oxford College with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Immediately found a job as a celluloid plastics researcher in Mannington.

In 1953, she received a law degree and for the next 5 years she mastered it in practice, having worked as a lawyer. A little later, she became a specialist in the field of taxation, having studied this industry to perfection.

Thus, the education of the future politician turned out to be quite versatile: she knew the basics of building a business, she was fluent in information about legislation and taxes, in addition, she was well versed in scientific processes, and most importantly, Margaret Thatcher was hatching reforms even in those days when she was still far away. from the chair of the prime minister.

Political debut

Oddly enough, but after graduation, Margaret knew perfectly well where she would continue her studies - in Oxford. Why there? Yes, because all future ministers of Great Britain studied at this educational institution. There she wasted no time, joining KAOU - the Conservative Association of Oxford University. From this began her ascent to the political Olympus.

Even then, she had a desire to run for the estate-representative body, but for this she had to first become the president of KAOU. And Thatcher became it in 1946. This status began to take up a lot of time, she slept 3-4 hours a day. The moment came when she had to choose between politics and education - she chose the former. Therefore, it is not surprising that Margaret Thatcher, a former excellent student and student, defended her diploma for "satisfactory", and she was awarded a bachelor's degree in the 2nd grade.

Denis Thatcher - a guide to big politics

In 1948, Margaret's candidacy was approved for the parliamentary elections, however, Dartford was historically dominated by Labor, since the city was industrial. Therefore, she lost her first elections, but this further prompted the woman to further active work.

At the same time, she met Denis Thatcher (it is by the name of her husband that she is known all over the world). In 1951 he proposed to her. The man was 33 years old and slightly older than her. Denis was a businessman and therefore could provide the young spouse with everything he needed. Now she could devote herself entirely to politics, and Margaret Thatcher's reforms (Great Britain needed them at that moment) had been hatching for a long time.

1953 became a "white" life period for her. The Thatcher couple had twins, and four months after that, Margaret passed the final exam and became a lawyer. She chose the tax area as a specialization in her practice, having studied it thoroughly, which in the future will be very useful for politics.

Summing up the chapter, it must be said that Denis played a huge role in the political growth of Margaret. It was after the wedding that she could completely surrender to her beloved business - politics.

Road to parliament

In the late 1950s, Margaret began working with renewed vigor on parliamentary elections. The most difficult thing was finding a constituency, from which you can nominate yourself. She started with, but there she became the second, which closed her way to parliament. In another district of the same county, the situation was similar. At the same time, a candidate refused to run for parliament in Finchley. Work has begun! There were 200 applicants for this place. A written competition was held, following which 22 participants were selected. Then an oral presentation was made, after which only 4 candidates remained, including Margaret Thatcher. She was elected as a candidate from the constituency, which meant her de facto election to parliament.

In 1959, she got into the British Parliament - the way to big politics was open. That time was very unfavorable for the conservatives, economic difficulties began, Prime Minister Macmillan fell ill and resigned. And the parliamentary elections of 1964 put the Conservatives on the opposition bench. And Margaret herself was appointed the shadow minister for housing in the same year.

Party leader

The 70s were difficult for the economy and the domestic situation in Great Britain. In the post-war period, the country began to retreat back in its development and was no longer included even in the top ten leaders, although it was always at the forefront.

In 1974, the question of choosing the head of the Conservatives was raised. Margaret Thatcher put forward her candidacy, becoming a rival for the current leader E. Heath. The elections shocked him: out of 276 - 130 votes were cast in favor of Thatcher and only 19 for Heath, after which he withdrew his candidacy. But instead of him, Margaret had new rivals. The most serious of which was Whitelaw. The second round of elections was held on 11/02/1975, which affected undoubted advantage Thatcher: 146 people voted for her, Whitelaw received 79 votes.

It was a very difficult time for the conservatives, they were twice defeated in parliamentary elections, the number of party members fell sharply, and a party crisis ensued. It was clear: the party needs " new blood". And Thatcher, like no one else, coped with this difficult mission.

Iron Lady of British politics Margaret Thatcher

She first became prime minister in 1979. These were tough elections: until the very end, no one was sure of the victory of the Conservatives, but the final figures showed that 339 seats out of 635 in parliament were assigned to the Conservatives. Margaret understood that now she would be able to embody the ideas that she had been carrying in her head for more than one year. A new era has begun in Great Britain.

Thatcher's premiership period was very tense: an economic and social crisis erupted in the country. The share of UK industry in the world economy fell by a quarter after World War II. Enterprises suffered losses, and wages fell sharply. And entrepreneurs were forced to lower the quality of their products in order to reduce the cost. The economic crisis has already begun to develop into a political one, corrupting the country from within.

Premier's departure

In 1990 M. Thatcher retired. An entire era passed with her. The Iron Lady managed to return the United Kingdom to its former power and splendor, returning it again to the ranks of the leaders of the world economy and politics. This merit will remain forever in the memory of the English people, and the name of Margaret Thatcher is forever imprinted in the political history of Great Britain. On April 8, 2013, the Iron Lady passed away. Many people ask the question: how old is Thatcher? Margaret lived a long, interesting life, reaching 87 years of age. The farewell procession was held in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, her family members, and politicians from a bygone era.

In response to Margaret Thatcher's criticism of the Soviet Union, the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda called her an "iron lady." The translation of this expression into English sounded like "iron lady". Since then, this nickname has been firmly entrenched in the prime minister.

The grocer's daughter

Margaret Hilda Roberts was indeed born into a small merchant family on October 13, 1925. Surprisingly hardworking, already at school, Margaret received scholarships for diligence. Not surprisingly, she studied for free at Oxford and graduated from this prestigious institution with honors, immediately receiving a degree in chemistry. At the same time, Thatcher became interested in politics, dealing with the affairs of the conservative party, which was unfashionable at that time.

Subsequently, Margaret will say that she owes her professional and personal qualities to her family, especially to her father. He not only worked in a shop, but also was an assistant to the mayor, a member of the city council. “We were instilled from childhood with a sense of duty, in relation to the family, to the church, to our neighbors. It gave me a basis in life, ”said Margaret.

The wife of a businessman, mother of twins and ... a politician

At the age of 26 (in 1951), Margaret married a wealthy businessman Denis Thatcher and rather quickly gave birth to twins: Mark and Carol. However, his academic career was replaced by a passion for politics. Later, Margaret Thatcher will emphasize that it was just a hobby, not a desire to advance, no matter what.

Although, perhaps, it was precisely the fact that politics was originally a hobby for her, to which she gave herself up with all her passion, and became the basis of her fantastic success.

Taking care of family and children, Margaret simultaneously received another education - legal. She liked to emphasize that in this she was helped by the fact that her husband Denis was a wealthy man, thanks to which she could calmly study to be a lawyer, without thinking about earning.

The only female prime minister

In 1959, Thatcher, 34, became a member of the House of Commons from the Conservative Party in London and for the next twenty years moved up the party ladder, holding a number of high positions. In 1979, she dares to challenge fellow conservative Edward Heath, who led the party. And takes its place. And when Conservatives win a general parliamentary election, Thatcher almost automatically becomes prime minister. The first and so far the only woman in British history to hold this post. And her premiership became a truly record one: for almost 12 years, Margaret Thatcher, the “elected dictator,” as she was once called, remains in this post, having entered the political history of not only Great Britain, but the whole world.

Frankly speaking, Mrs Thatcher got a troublesome, by European standards, collapsed economy. Inflation was over 20%, which was simply indecent for a respectable country.

By the way, at one time (in the early 90s) Russia found itself in the same situation. At the same time, proposals were heard, though not entirely serious - to invite Lady Thatcher to run our government. It is a pity that they are not serious.

Iron hand in lace glove

Thatcher, as we would say, is a “convinced market”. She denationalized several large industries, cut social spending, which, in her opinion, simply produced idlers, curtailed trade union rights - in a word, implemented everything that was called "Thatcherism" and "anti-popular Tory policy" in the USSR. After that, inflation dropped to an acceptable 4-5% per year (what we can now dream of), unemployment has ceased to be a national problem, and the economy has firmly set itself on the tracks of, if not rapid, then sustainable growth.

England was reckoned with again. Margaret Thatcher's diplomatic gift was fully manifested when in 1986-87 she, carrying out a "shuttle" policy between the USA and the USSR, or better to say, between Reagan and Gorbachev, made the reconciliation of the irreconcilable real.

Reasons for Thatcher's success

It is difficult to say what a woman's success in politics is. Perhaps this is the ability to play men's games. But who after that will say that politics is not a woman's business ?! Among the secrets of Margaret Thatcher's success, you can probably name the following:

Unusual political instinct and great will - she clearly knew what she wanted, saw the prospect and walked towards the desired goal without turning away.

Margaret was able to make openly unpopular decisions and calmly listen to reproaches.

She was invariably firm in the implementation of the decisions made, in times of crisis she knew how to rally like-minded people around herself.

She deftly answered tricky questions in the way she needed, conveying to the listener only what she wanted to say, and not what they wanted to hear from her.

In her own family, where, in addition to Margaret, sister Muriel grew up, there were strict rules - the girls were instilled with clear concepts of honesty, decency and others. positive qualities... Thatcher brought them into her politics.

Margaret has a wonderful rear behind her - a good family, a caring husband, well-mannered children who did not give her any trouble with some inappropriate antics.

Well, undoubtedly one of important factors success is that Margaret Thatcher is just a beautiful woman.

Professional workaholic

Margaret often said, "I was born to work." Among the reasons for her success, Thatcher herself names good natural health, a belief in human rights and the belief that management must be skillful. Without being particularly shy, she says that she is well versed in people - as soon as she sees a person, she already knows who is in front of her, and is never mistaken. She was irreconcilable in relation to corruption. Margaret Thatcher is practically the only major political leader who has never been there was not a single reproach for dishonesty.

Now an 86-year-old lady is rarely in public (age and illness make themselves felt), but her every appearance is an event. Among her favorite types of recreation, Margaret calls walking and visiting concerts and classical music festivals.

Margaret Thatcher didn't like the film "Iron Lady", but she appreciated Meryl Streep's play (pictured)

... By the way, Thatcher herself did not like the released film "The Iron Lady" in principle - "an unnecessary undertaking". But she praised the brilliant performance of Meryl Streep (the Hollywood star played the role of the Prime Minister). As always, balanced, polite, but frank.

The mechanism for assuming the office of prime minister in England is quite peculiar. By the morning, when the election results become known, the sleepy, exhausted winner comes to the monarch's residence and, kneeling down, informs Her Majesty of the fait accompli. And the reigning person has no choice but to offer the winner to accept the post of prime minister and form a government. As a rule, this offer is not refused.

For all her firmness, in relation to unprincipled details, Margaret Thatcher is capable of an active compromise. Although, as she says, this is her least favorite word. Listening to the advice of image-makers, Margaret somewhat softened the intonation of her statements, changed her hair, began to wear more feminine suits (she rarely wears dresses at all), shorter skirts and more often wear jewelry. And on this change of image, she achieved incredible success! From a tough parliamentary fighter she turned into a kind of "mother of the nation", the second queen.

Thatcher has few jewelry and most of them are gifts from her husband for family holidays. Margaret's favorite jewelry is natural pearls. “Pearl earrings illuminate the face in a special way,” she says. Her favorite color is turquoise, but she rarely wears it, preferring dark blue and gray, prefers natural wool and silk.

Margaret is the second wife of Denis Thatcher. His first wife was also named Margaret. The fact that she is the second Margaret Thatcher never seemed to embarrass the head of the British government, but she did not like to talk about it.

With the retirement of the "grocer's daughter", they planned to bestow the title of nobility and title. At first it was thought that she would be made Countess Grantham - after the name of the place where she was born. However, Margaret Thatcher was bestowed the title of Baroness Kestvin. By the way, her pension is 17.5 thousand pounds a year.