Margaret Thatcher: power and personality

854 Pages·2013·5.96 MB·English

by  Jonathan Aitken

MARGARET THATCHER
To Elizabeth
Contents
List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
Prologue
1 The early years
The birthplace
Family tensions
Fun (or lack of it)
First school
Fatherly inspiration
Reflection
2 The war, grammar school and fighting her headmistress
Grantham at war
KGGS
Getting her own way
Reflection
3 Oxford, boyfriends and political ambition
Early unhappiness at Oxford
Stirrings of romance
Success in OUCA politics
Reflection
4 First steps in politics
Young Conservative
Mentored by Alfred Bossom MP
Young candidate
Three men on a string
The general election of 1950
Frustration, consolidation and engagement
Reflection
5 Marriage, motherhood and Finchley
Marriage
Motherhood
The bumpy road to Finchley
Elected
Reflection
6 First years in Parliament 1959–1964
The lucky legislator
Making her way in the House
Junior minister
In the constituency
Family life
Reflection
7 Front-bench opposition
Entering opposition
Iain Macleod’s no. 2
Joining the shadow cabinet
Wooed by the Americans, dismayed by the Soviets
Preparing for government
Reflection
8 Secretary of State for Education
First moves
Milk snatcher
Saved by the Prime Minister
Wider than education
Reflection
9 Heath on the ropes
The twilight of a Tory leader
The phoney war in the party
The rise and fall of Sir Keith Joseph
Reflection
10 Winning the leadership
Deciding to run
Toffs for Thatcher and other surprises
A deal with Edward du Cann
Enter Airey Neave
A stunning result on the first ballot
Reflection
11 Leader of the Opposition: a fragile beginning
Winning the final round
An uncertain start
Personal glimpses
Reflection
12 Three frustrating years
Party conferences and foreign visits
Outmanoeuvred by James Callaghan
New policies and philosophies
Reflection
13 Last lap to the election
The importance of the laughing boys
The winter of discontent
The vote of no confidence
Reflection
14 The final ascent to No. 10
Waiting before the off
Soft-centre campaigning
On the eve of power
Victory
Reflection
15 First moves as Prime Minister
Making a start
Handling her cabinet
Challenging the civil service
Reflection
16 The learning curve
Inside No. 10
Bridge builders and voices
Old Stripey and stubbornness
A favour for Rupert Murdoch
Personality traits on and off duty
Dog days on Islay
Reflection
17 First steps in foreign affairs
Learning from Lord Carrington
Rhodesia
Europe
A slow start to the Special Relationship
Reflection
18 Storm clouds on the economy and in the cabinet
The gathering storm
Outflanking Jim Prior
The courage of the 1981 Budget
The vulnerable Prime Minister
Blockbustered into reshuffling the cabinet
Reflection
19 The Falklands War I: the prelude
Sabotaging the leaseback option
Parliament’s war
Seeing off Haig
Reflection
20 The Falklands War II: into the fighting
Military and political preparations
South Georgia, the Belgrano and the Sheffield
More diplomatic wobbles
Reflection
21 The Falklands War III: victory
The battle for the Falklands
Victory
Reflection
22 After the Falklands
The changing of the political landscape
The economy and the unions
The beginnings of privatisation
The suicide of the opposition
A landslide victory
Reflection
23 Stumbling into the second term
Cecil Parkinson and the Speaker
Other early glitches
Difficult problems
Her blue-eyed Chancellor
Reflection
24 Terrorism, Ireland and Hong Kong
Facing down terrorism
The Anglo-Irish Agreement
Accepting reality in Hong Kong
Reflection
25 Batting for Britain in Saudi Arabia
The deal of the century
Fighting the French
The Denis back channel
Difficult hurdles to overcome
The motivation of the Prime Minister
Reflection
26 Unions and miners
Stepping stones towards solving the problem
Arthur Scargill’s challenge
David Hart: her secret Blue Pimpernel
The NACODS crisis and the collapse of the strike
Losers but no victors
Reflection