Thatcher’s 30 years of history
TODAY marks the 30th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s arrival in power as Britain’s first woman prime minister.
For 11 years the grocer’s daughter from Grantham ran the country in one of the most turbulent eras in recent political history.
She came to power in 1979 following the Winter of Discontent overseen by Labour prime minister James Callaghan.
She won three elections and reshaped the British political landscape, earning the nickname The Iron Lady.
Her leadership is indelibly linked with three major confrontations. One was abroad, the Falklands, and two were at home – the miner’s strike and the poll tax riots.
Baroness Thatcher is not marking the day with any special events, but the Tory Carlton Club is holding a dinner for her in early June.