Thatcherism essay questions

Nigel Lawson, Mrs. Thatcher’s Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1983-89, defined ‘Thatcherism’ as; “’Thatcherism’ is, I believe, a useful term … No other modern Prime Minister has given his or her name to a particular constellation of policies and values. However it needs to be used with care.

Historically, it was Stuart Hall who famously concocted the term ‘Thatcherism’. He noted that the term was in respect of the political imagery that the Conservative leader coined, ‘ideological representation’, if you will. On Stuart Hall, James Proctor writes of the reasoning behind the concoction of the term ‘Thatcherism’, stating;

Thatcher Thatcherism Government. ‘Thatcherism’ is a useful term’ (Nigel Lawson), Discuss. Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, the successor to James Callaghan. From 1979 – 1990, Thatcher, to many, ruled with an ‘iron fist’, winning three consecutive general elections despite her popularity immensely decreasing during her first term alone.

“’Thatcherism’ was a term Hall coined (a ‘dubious distinction’ he has wryly commented) in order to elaborate on the prevailing cultural and ideological forces associated with (but not necessarily confined to) the Thatcher governments”