Thatcher And Thatcherism

Thatcherism produced dramatic changes in most aspects of public life, both in Britain and abroad. This work surveys the origins and impact of Thatcherism as a cultural construct and an economic creed. Centering on the career of Margaret Thatcher, the author argues that Thatcherism was a bold experiment in ideologically driven government which failed to meet its objectives.

Thatcherism produced dramatic changes in most aspects of public life, both in Britain and abroad. This work surveys the origins and impact of Thatcherism as a cultural construct and an economic creed. Centering on the career of Margaret Thatcher, the author argues that Thatcherism was a bold experiment in ideologically driven government which failed to meet its objectives.

Eric J. Evans gives a controversial account centring on the career of Margaret Thatcher. He argues that 'Thatcherism' was a bold experiment in ideologically driven government which failed to meet its domestic and international objectives.

Thatcherism produced dramatic changes, both in Britain and abroad. This expanded second edition brings the book up to date and surveys the origins and impact of Thatcherism as a cultural construct and an economic creed.

This book situates the controversial Thatcher era in the political, social, cultural and economic history of modern Britain.

A woman demonised by the left and sanctified by the right, there has always been a religious undercurrent to discussions of Margaret Thatcher. However, while her Methodist roots are well known, the impact of her faith on her politics is often overlooked. In an attempt to source the origins of Margaret Thatcher's 'conviction politics', Eliza Filby explores how Thatcher's worldview was shaped and guided by the lessons of piety, thrift and the Protestant work ethic learnt in Finkin Street Methodist Church, Grantham, from her lay-preacher father. In doing so, she tells the story of how a Prime Minister steeped in the Nonconformist teachings of her childhood entered Downing Street determined to reinvigorate the nation with these religious values. Filby concludes that this was ultimately a failed crusade. In the end, Thatcher created a country that was not more Christian, but more secular; and not more devout, but entirely consumed by a new religion: capitalism. In upholding the sanctity of the individual, Thatcherism inadvertently signalled the death of Christian Britain. Drawing on previously unpublished archives, interviews and memoirs, Filby examines how the rise of Thatcher was echoed by the rebirth of the Christian right in Britain, both of which were forcefully opposed by the Church of England. Wide-ranging and exhaustively researched, God and Mrs Thatcher offers a truly original perspective on the source and substance of Margaret Thatcher's political values and the role that religion played in the politics of this tumultuous decade.

This collection examines the social and cultural legacy of Thatcherism in the 21st century. Drawing upon perspectives from a range of disciplines, it considers how Thatcherism manifests itself today and how we can assess its long-term impact. The book is divided into four sections, which offer different ways of conceptualising and addressing questions of legacy: the ideological impact of Thatcherism on the Conservative Party and on the country; the long-term impact of Thatcherism across different parts of the UK; how Thatcherism has altered social attitudes to everything from welfare spending to Europe; and how popular historical accounts of Thatcherism have become embedded in different parts of contemporary British culture. The essays in this volume draw upon newly available archival materials, oral histories, social attitudes surveys and parliamentary debates to provide a well-rounded perspective on Thatcherism today.

The Anatomy of Thatcherism explains how, for the first time In British history, a prime minister's name has become an 'Ism'—a symbol of a profound social change. Letwln argues that Thatcherism promoted a moral agenda rather than an economic doctrine or a political theory in order to achieve a fundamental realignment in British politics. She introduces a new terms—"the vigorous virtues"—to describe what Thatcherites have aimed to cultivate in Individual Britons and In the country as a whole. Her definition of Thatcherism is supported by a detailed analysis of the principal Thatcherite policies and the grounds on which they were advocated and opposed, Inside and outside the Conservative Party. Without departing from a lucid and lively style or resorting to technical jargon. Dr. Letwln explains such innovations as schools opting out, budget holding by GPs, and the creation of the first ever competitive spot market in electricity. Just how did the Thatcherite administrations shape the reform of the unions? How is the Thatcherite attitude to the family connected with Thatcherite policies on schools? Why does mon­etarism appear—wrongly—to be at the heart of Thatcherism? The Anatomy of Thatcherism is a bold and searching book about how Britain changed between 1979 and 1992. It challenges many truisms about British politics, and Is indispensable reading both for those who believe in the future relevance of Thatcherism and for those who want to demolish it. And it will be of particular interest to those con­cerned with the history of British politics, as It shows how Thatcherism both arose out of, and confronted, trends that had per­meated Conservatism for the entire twentieth century.