“The Iron Lady”… Margaret Thatcher

1950s -1979• Maintained the popular welfare state

• Collective consensus began to break apart with social and economic problems in the 1960s and 1970s

–Declining economic production

– Loss of power abroad (old empire began to shrink)

–Recession in the 70s due to the oil crisis

–Violence in Northern Ireland

–High unemployment rates

– Labor unions launched major strikes and riots broke out in big cities

• Crisis came in 1973 when oil-exporting nations in the Middle East dramatically cut shipments to pro-Israeli nations following the Arab-Israeli War. Oil prices quadrupled, forcing British industries to use more coal.

• This was the opportunity for which miners had waited. Miners were dissatisfied because they opposed the government’s wage controls as well as the policy of closing down unprofitable mines at the cost of miners’ jobs. Now the miners introduced a ban on working overtime and finally began an all-out strike to pressure the government to abandon its policy of legislating limits on wage increases.

• In response, Prime Minister Edward Heath introduced emergency legislation that limited the working week to three days and instituted national electrical power cuts to minimize the amount of coal used in power plants.

The Three Day Week, 1974

• The election of 1974 was fought on whether government would restrain the unions. The Labour Party won a narrow majority by promising not to interfere with the unions. With legal limits removed, the unions won wage increases. Workers now had more money to spend, while the amount of available goods on the market remained the same. As a result, prices for products began to rise, and double-digit inflation ensued. Food prices rose 20 percent in 1973 alone.

• Wages and prices spiralled out of control. Only a supply of oil drilled from the North Sea off the coast of Scotland saved Britain from a crisis. Even with the new supply of oil, the government raised taxes on income and on consumer goods to finance raises in wages that had been negotiated with union members in nationalized industries. The taxes left less and less for reinvestment. In 1979 an arrangement between the Labour Party and the unions to keep wage demands moderate broke down, and another round of strikes took place

‘The Winter of Discontent, 1978-79’

James Callaghan

• 1912-2005

• Prime Minister 1976-79

• Labour Party

Margaret Thatcher

• Born 1925• Chemist, Barrister• MP 1959-1992• Education Secretary

1970-74• Conservative Party

Leader 1975-1990• Prime Minister 1979-

1990

The Thatcher Revolution

• The Conservatives capitalized on the situation to win the election in 1979 under their newly chosen leader, Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister. Thatcher was a strident Conservative, and she was determined not to give in to the unions or change from the course she had charted to revive the British economy. Thatcher based her policy on the theory of monetarism. This theory involved strictly controlling the money supply to reduce inflation, lowering tax rates to encourage investment, and minimizing government intervention in industry to remove restrictions on the expansion of businesses.

Margaret Thatcher: The Housewife in Politics

What’s wrong with Britain?

1. The state was too big

2. Trade Unions were too powerful

3. Something had gone wrong with the national character

SOCIALISM!

Thatcher on Privatisation‘Privatisation was

fundamental to improving Britain’s economic performance. But for me, it was far more than that: it was about reversing the corrupting and corrosive effects of socialism. Privatisation is at the heart of any programme of reclaiming territory for freedom’.

• The Thatcher government began privatizing industry, relaxing government regulation, and removing government subsidies. This was strong medicine and initially led to an even more rapid decline. By 1981 both interest rates and unemployment reached post-war highs, and a growing number of British firms faced bankruptcy. Pressure mounted to reverse government policy, and even members of Thatcher’s own party threatened to revolt. Thatcher refused to abandon her policies.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ-M0KEFm9I

Thatcher on Council Housing‘council estates bring together

people who are out of work but enjoy security of tenure at subsidized rents. They not only have every incentive to stay where they are: they mutually reinforce each other’s passivity and undermine each other’s initiative. Thus a culture grows up in which the unemployed are content to remain living mainly on the state with little will to move and find work’.

The 1981 Riots

Government Waste

• Britain had lots of industries that were not efficient and making money– Shipbuilding

– Car manufacturing

– Coal Mining

• Prior to Thatcher the government had subsidized those industries

Why did the Miners go on Strike?• In 1984 the National Coal Board announced that 20

coal mines would close.

• Total Job losses would be in excess of 20,000.

Deeper Problem

• Towns were built round mines

• Main source of employment for the town

• If the Mine closes then the whole town is affected, every business is affected.

The Strike• Miners worried about possible closures in the area

went on strike.• Thousands of miners went on strike.• On 12 March 1984, Arthur Scargill, president of

the NUM, declared that the strikes in the various coal fields were to be a national strike and called for strike action from NUM members in all coal fields.

• NUM – National Union of Mineworkers

Arthur Scargill

• Head of Yorkshire NUM, 1974-81

• President, NUM, 1981-2002

• Founder, Socialist Labour Party

The Miners’ Strike, 1984-85

‘The Battle of Orgreave’, June 1984

What was the Strike like for the miners?

• The strike last over a year.• Financially the strike was

disastrous for those involved. They had no income for a full year.

• Commitment to the “COAL NOT DOLE” cause

• Miners had to live on charity for large periods of time.

The end of the strike• March 3 1985, the NUM voted 98-91 in favour of a return

to work.

• Miners' leader Arthur Scargill says the campaign against job losses will continue - but miners will return to work on Tuesday.

• “We face not an employer but a government aided and abetted by the judiciary, the police and you people in the media”

• Arthur Scargill, NUM

Falklands War Origin• The Falklands War was fought between Argentina and Britain. The

conflict resulted from the long-standing dispute over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Islands, which lie in the South Atlantic east of Argentina.

• The war began when the Argentine forces invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982.

• On May 21, Britain landed at San Carlos with 4,000 men. The following week, they were hit by Argentine aircrafts. HMS Ardent (May 22), HMS Antelope (May 24), and HMS Coventry (May 25) were sunk, as was MV Atlantic Conveyor with cargo of helicopters and supplies.

• On the night of June 11, British troops simultaneously fired at Port Stanley and succeeded in capturing their objectives. The attack continued and soon enough, Gen. Mario Melendez surrendered his 9,800 men on June 14, effectively ending the conflict.

The Home front• Economic Impact: Argentina had been in the midst of a devastating

economic crisis at the very beginning. However, further on both Argentina and Britain spent a great amount of money on equipment for the war. The overall economy made an even greater influence on the recession and attacks on jobs and sent unemployment soaring.

• Social Impact/Cultural Impact: There were wide-ranging influences on popular culture in both the UK and Argentina, from the immediate postwar period to the present.

• The Falklands War also provided material for theatre, film and TV drama and influenced the output of musicians including (among others) English Post-Punk Band Gang of Four, Pink Floyd, Joe Jackson, Crass, New Model Army, Steve Dahl and Elvis Costello.

Effects and results of the war• In Argentina, the defeat led to the removal of Pres. Galtieri three

days after the fall of Port Stanley. His downfall spelled the end for the military rule that had been leading the country and paved the way for the restoration of democracy. For Britain, the victory provided a much needed boost to its national confidence, reaffirmed its international position, and assured victory for the Thatcher Government in the 1983 elections.

LOSERs winners

History of ConflictNorthern Ireland

_____________________________________

Background Data

• The conflict in Northern Ireland is between two groups; Protestants and Catholics. The conflict is not necessarily about religion, but it does have some significance in the history of the conflict.

The current population of Northern Ireland is 1.5 million. 55% of the population is Protestant, 45% Catholic.

Protestant Beliefs

• Have a constitutional right to the land

• Preserving the Union with Britain

• Resisting the perceived threat of a United Ireland

Catholic Beliefs• For some, Northern Ireland

remains a National struggle

• Self determination

• Others viewed the conflict as a struggle against unfair practices by the Unionist government between 1920-1970

Creation of Irish Free State / Northern Ireland

• In 1921, the island of Ireland was partitioned by the British government. The 26 southern counties gaining independence from Britain, while the 6 northeastern countries remained part of the United Kingdom

Northern Ireland

• At the time, the 6 northeastern counties had a built-in Protestant majority (65/35)

• Ethnic bias in the distribution of housing and welfare services lead to more turmoil between the two sides

Beginnings of “The Troubles”___________________________

• Started in the 1960’s -Civil Rights Campaign

Catholics-inspired by the worldwide civil rights movement

Protestants – saw this as a threat to Northern Ireland’s existence –responded hostile to demonstrations

“The Troubles”

• 1969 – London deployed the British Army to restore order.

• To most Catholics, they were seen as protector of the Northern Ireland state and repressive majority population. (others – British troops on Irish soil)

Creation of Paramilitary Groups

• The creation of the Provisional Irish Republic Army (PIRA –later shortened to IRA) was organized in response to British engagement into the civil rights movement. The IRA gained members during the 1970’s and became more violent in their tactics.

Creation of Paramilitary Groups

• Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)

-Loyalist Paramilitary Group. Formed primarily in response to IRA, also used violence to help its cause.

Formation of the Peace Process

• As the two sides fought against each other for most of the 1970’s and early 1980’s, it became evident that progress was never going to be made using force. Instead, the IRA and UVF began aligning with political parties in Northern Ireland as a way to fight for their goals.

Sinn Fein- Republic Ireland

Sinn Fein – The political wing of Republicanism and the IRA. Leader-Gerry Adams

Progressive Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party

Progressive Unionist-Was involved in discussions leading tonegotiations betweenthe parties.

Democratic Unionist- Continuesto remain loyal to Britain

What were the hunger strikes about?

• Culmination of conflict over the status of republican prisoners– Criminals or prisoners of war?

• Defined nature of conflict in Northern Ireland– Local issue of law & order or colonial war of global interest?– Terrorists or freedom fighters in long republican tradition

• Questioned nature of British justice in Northern Ireland– Nature of courts– Behaviour of police & prison authorities

• Three phases of protest– Blanket protest, 1976– ‘Dirty protest’, 1978– Hunger strikes: 1980 & 1981 (10 died)

What were the protesters’ demands?

• Right to wear their own clothes • Right not to do prison work • Right to free association with other prisoners• Right to a weekly visit, letter & parcel and to

organise educational & recreational activities• Restoration of remission lost through protest

What happened during the 1980 hunger strike?

• Began 27 Oct. 1980

• 7 men went on hunger strike & 3 women at Armagh

• Underestimated determination of Margaret Thatcher

• Ended 18 Dec. 1980 in mistaken expectation of concessions

Why were hunger strikes resumedin 1981?

• Resumed 1 Mar. 1981

• Discussions with government failing

• Initiative taken by prisoners themselves

• Leader – Bobby Sands, IRA commandant in the Maze

• 10 died

• Ended 3 Oct.1981

• Some concessions announced 6 Oct. 1981

Why were they in prison?Bobby Sands IRA Possession of a firearm Francis Hughes IRA Various offences, including murder of a

soldier Raymond McCreesh IRA Attempted murder, possession of a rifle, IRA

membership Patsy O’Hara INLA Possession of a hand grenade Joe McDonnell IRA Possession of a firearm Martin Hurson IRA Attempted murder, involvement in

explosions, IRA membership Kevin Lynch INLA Stealing shotguns, taking part in a

punishment shooting Kieran Doherty IRA Possession of firearms and explosives,

hijacking Thomas McElwee IRA Manslaughter Michael Devine INLA Theft and possession of firearms

Why did Sands go on hunger strike?

I am a political prisonerbecause I am a casualty of a perennial war

that is being fought betweenthe oppressed Irish people and

an alien, oppressive, unwanted regimethat refuses to withdraw from our land.

I believe and stand by theGod-given right of the Irish nation to sovereign independence, and

the right of any Irishman or womanto assert this right in armed revolution.

That is why I am incarcerated, naked and tortured.Bobby Sands, writing on the first day of his hunger strike

What was the reaction to his death?

British governmentMargaret Thatcher, Prime MinisterMr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to takehis own life. It was a choice that his organization didnot allow to many of its victims.Humphrey Atkins, Secretary for State for Northern IrelandI regret this needless and pointless death.

Nationalist/CatholicsRosaries & petrol bombs

Why did Margaret Thatcherremain adamant?

• Continued IRA violence– Particularly influenced by murder in Derry of Protestant

woman census worker, married with 2 young children, during election campaign – shot in back of head.

• Ulster unionist opinion– ‘She thought that if she gave way on it

this would have a very large impact onthe Protestant population.’Jim Prior, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

THE BRIGHTON BOMBING, 12 October 1984

Criticism of Thatcherism

– High unemployment

– Poverty

– Songs....