Events Testing Thatcher's Leadership

  • Six armed Iranians took 26 hostages in South Kensington and demanded the release of 91 prisoners that were held in Iran. 
  • Thatcher applied the British Law upon the Iranian Embassy
  • The speedy resolution made Thatcher popular
  • The IRA and INLA went on hunger strikes demanding that they are political prisoners
  • Thatcher didn't budge and said:
  • A group of protesters had a confrontation with the Metropolitan police that got out of control 
  • Brixton had 13% of residents unemployed and 25.4% of members of ethnic minorities were unemployed 
  • Thatcher didn't increase spending in the cities and said - " Money cannot buy either trust or racial harmony." 
  • Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands with 600 troops and captured 100 British servicemen 
  • 127 ships in total, including 62 vessels were sent to sail south and retake the islands 
  • Thatcher's strong & successful response despite logistical obstacles was praised
  • Thatcher's government made plans to close 20 coal pits resulting in 20,000 job losses because the coal industry was costing too much for Britain 
  • The union eventually conceded without making a deal with Thatcher's Government
  • Thatcher was staying at a hotel in Brighton that was hosting that year's conservative party 
  • The IRA attempted to kill Thatcher in the hotel but instead killed 5 and wounded 34 but Thatcher was unharmed 
  • Thatcher made sure the conference still went on as planned, addressing the bombing in her speech. 
  • Margaret Thatcher privatized the publicly owned British Telecom and other utility companies. This brought in billions of pound sterling's into the government's treasury
  • This remains as Thatcher's most controversial legacy
  • Thatcher allied the UK with US against the Soviet Union 
  • Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan made a policy that aimed to destroy communism expansion by displaying military superiority.