Britain's 'Iron Lady' Margaret Thatcher Dies

The British former prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, has died following a stroke. She was 87. Mrs Thatcher's radical economic reforms and uncompromising style made her one of the the 20th Century's most well-known politicians and was the first ever woman to lead a British government.

Published

about 5 years ago

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World

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Politics & Government, Europe

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Margaret Thatcher

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United Kingdom

Transcript

SCRIPT: Britain's first, and so far only, female prime minister deserved her nickname - the Iron Lady. Margaret Thatcher was a formidable politician at home and abroad and her 11-and-a-half year premiership changed the face of Britain. Her tough economic reforms and brand of individualistic capitalism would come to be known as Thatcherism ensuring her place in the history books. However her divisive legacy has as many detractors as fans. The greengrocer's daughter and former chemist became the Conservative party leader in 1975 and prime minister four years later. Her popularity and uncompromising reputation grew after a tough military response to Argentina's invasion of the British Falkland Islands in 1982. The rest of that decade would be defined by the Thatcher goverment's restructuring of the industrial and social fabric of Britain. She crushed a miner's strike and took on the trade unions, reigning in their strength. Her policies saw a decline in traditional manufacturing and created a decade synonymous with unashamed money-making. Unemployment and social deprivation also grew rife under Thatcher. Her reputation as a survivor was further enhanced after she narrowly escaped an IRA bombing at the Conservative Party conference in Brighton. Internationally she forged a close relationship with US president Ronald Reagan and adopted a confrontational approach to Europe, once famously demading 'her money back.' Margaret Thatcher summed up her inflexible determination with the famous words: "the Lady's not for turning." But this intransigence ultimately led to her downfall. In 1990 Thatcher's own party turned on her and challenged her leadedrship, resulting in a quick and tearful departure from Downing Street. In later years, as Baroness Thatcher, she continued to make her views known as a self-confessed political back-seat driver. But a series of strokes and dementia saw her gradually withdraw from public life. However she did live to see the return of a Tory government under David Cameron, who hailed her as "Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister of the last century." SHOTLIST: LONDON, VAR FILE IMAGES (SOURCES: PA, EBS & AFP) PA file images (N. B for one month's news use only, no archive. Web/mobile use permitted) VAR Baroness Thatcher on a visit Baroness Thatcher, aided by her daughter Carol, waving at press after a spell in hospital in 2010 EBS file images Downing Street sign Walking in street with Helmut Schmidt AFP still photograph portrait of Margaret Thatcher AFP still photograph of British soldiers during the Falklands War AFP still photograph portrait of Margaret Thatcher EBS file images of press conference in 10 Downing Street European summit Versailles summit with François Mitterrand AFP still photograph of Margaret Thatcher dancing with Ronald Reagan European summit at European Parliament European summit - Margaret Thatcher talking AFP still photograph portrait of Margaret Thatcher AFP still photograph portrait of Margaret Thatcher PA file images Margaret Thatcher visiting 10 Downing Street, on steps with former PM Gordon Brown and wife Sarah Margaret Thatcher visiting 10 Downing Street, on steps with PM David Cameron