Who is Margaret Thatcher

By Elma B.

Margaret Tatcher, also known as Baroness Thatcher, was born on October 13, 1925 and died on April 8, 2013 at the age of 87. She was a British politician and the longest serving (1979-1990) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 20th century. Thatcher was and remains the only woman to have been elected as Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. 

A Soviet journalist called her the "Iron Lady" because of her uncompromising leadership style and firm stance on free-market and democracy during the Cold War. In fact, her implementation of Conservative policies became known as Thatcherism.  Her political philosophy and economic policies advocated deregulation of the financial sector; during her era, many state-owned companies were privatized and her goal was to reduce the influence of trade unions. During her first years in office, there was recession and high unemployment; however, with Falklands War in 1982, economic recovery ensued and brought her a resurgence of support. 

In 1983, Tatcher was reelected for a second term as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In 1987, Thatcher was once again reelected for a third term; however, with her poll tax and her unpopular views on the European Community led to her resignation as Prime Minister and party leader in 1990. Thatcher was a good friend of US President Ronald Reagan, who also shared her views on free-market economy and taking a tough stance against ending the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

In an interview with Woman's Own magazine in 1987, she said:

"I think we have gone through a period when too many children and people have been given to understand 'I have a problem, it is the Government's job to cope with it!' or 'I have a problem, I will go and get a grant to cope with it!' 'I am homeless,  the Government must house me!' and so they are casting their problems on society and who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then also to help look after our neighbor and life is a reciprocal business and people have go the entitles too much in mind without the obligations." 

Although Thatcher remains a controversial figure for her uncompromising politics and leadership style, she undoubtedly revitalized Britain's economy, curbed its trade unions, and re-established the UK as a world power. In fact, she enabled more than a million of people to buy their council houses, which gave an increase from 55% to 67% in home ownership. Moreover, total personal wealth rose by 80% and woman's pay rose dramatically to the highest level on record and stayed there. Thatcher remains an iconic political figure; in fact, in 2011, Meryl Street starred as Margaret Thatcher in the film The Iron Lady. 

Below you can find some Margaret Thatcher quotes and  photographs. What did you think of Margaret Thatcher and her legacy? Please share with us in the comment section below or email us at info@clubfashionista.com 

Georgia May Jagger as Margaret Thatcher

Merrill Street as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

Georgia May Jagger as Margaret Thatcher