Dozen Lessons From British History. Reader

consecutive term. Spurred by public disapproval of the poll tax and Thatcher’s increasingly strident tone, Conservative members of Parliament moved against her in November 1990. Although she defeated her most senior opponent, former defense minister Michael Heseltine, by 204 votes to Heseltine’s 152, her total fell four votes short of the necessary majority plus 15 percent, and she decided not to contest the election in a second ballot. On November 22 she announced her resignation as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, paving the way for her replacement by John Major six days later.

Margaret Thatcher has undoubtedly made a great impact on British and global politics. Her departure was one of the most dramatic events in British political history.

She was a divisive figure, and some still hold her responsible for destroying much of the UK’s manufacturing base, consigning many to long-term unemployment (reaching 4 million in the decade she was in power). However, supporters of privatisation and of the free market cite the recovery of the economy during the mid-1980s and the present-day success of the British economy, with its relatively low unemployment and structural shift away from manufacturing towards the service sector. An unfortunate effect of her policies was that many of the publicly supported industries and industrial plants that shrank or closed down were the predominant employers in their areas, thus causing pockets of very high unemployment, while the growth of new services and technologies normally took place in other usually more prosperous areas.

When Thatcher took over in 1979, Britain was sometimes nicknamed as the “sick man of Europe” in the 1970s. Arguably, the UK emerged from the 1980s as one of the more successful economies in Europe. While the unemployment rate did eventually come down, it came after initial job losses and radical labour market reforms. These included laws that weakened trade unions and the deregulation of financial markets, which certainly played a part in returning London to a leadership position as a European financial centre, and her push for increased competition in telecommunications and other public utilities]

Perceptions of Margaret Thatcher are mixed among the British public. Few would argue that there was any woman who played a more important role on the world stage in the 20th century. In perhaps the sincerest form of flattery, Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, himself a thrice-elected Prime Minister, has acknowl-

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edged her importance. Thatcher herself indirectly acknowledged Blair during a Conservative leadership contest when she said “The Conservative Party doesn’t need someone that can beat Mr Blair. They need someone like Mr Blair.”

Thatcher is credited by Ronald Reagan with persuading him that Mikhail Gorbachev was sincere in his desire to reform and liberalize the Soviet Union. The resulting thaw in East-West relations helped to end the Cold War. In recognition of this, Lady Thatcher was awarded the 1998 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award by Mrs. Nancy Reagan. The award is only given to those who “have made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom worldwide,” and “embody President Reagan’s life long belief that one man or woman can truly make a difference.” President Ronald Reagan, who was not able to attend the ceremony, was a longtime friend of Lady Thatcher.

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Bibliography

1.Cannon, John and Hargreaves, Anne, The Kings and Queens of Britain. Oxford University Press, 2004.

2.Charles Dickens, A Child’s History of England. Москва, 2009.

3.Eagles, Robin, The Rough Guide Chronicle. England. London, 2002.

4.Martin, Jacqueline, Key Facts. The English Legal System. London, 2008.

5.McDowall, David, An Illustrated History of Britain. Longman, 2004.

6.Reilly, S.A. Our Legal Heritage. King Athelbert — King George III. Chicago, 2002.

7.Rivlin, Geoffrey. Understanding the Law. Oxford University Press, 2009.

8.Ross, David. England: History of a Nation. Санкт-Петербург, 2006.

9.Wilson, Robert. The Houses of Parliament. Pitkin Publishing Ltd, 2007.

10.Guryeva Yu. F. “Deep Are the Roots…”: A Concise History of Britain. Обнинск, 1999.

11.Бурова И.И. The History of England. Absolute Monarchy. СанктПетербург, 1995.

Net sources

1.www.britainexpress.com

2.www.britannica.com

3.www.britsattheirbest.com

4.www.historylearningsite.co.uk

5.www.historyworld.net

6.www.localhistories.org

7.www.royal.gov.uk

8.www.thefamouspeople.co.uk

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