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Prime Ministers - Coggle Diagram
Prime Ministers
Margaret Thatcher (Conservative 1979-90)
Examples of key policies
Political policies:
She ended the post-war consensus
She enacted legislation that minimised local governments to curb the power of Labour politicians in metropolitan areas. For example, the 1986 Local Government Act was set up to abolish big metropolitan local authorities with too much power
She established the 'right-to-buy' policy, which offered significant discounts that allowed people to get on the property ladder
Thatcher attempted to set up a poll tax but this proved unsuccessful and ultimately helped lead to the end of her political success
She took a very strong stance with trade unions, believing that it was essential that their power was reduced. For example, in 1982, she introduced laws that would make strikes ballots compulsory as well as laws that banned mass picketing. Knowing that there would be inevitable strikes, she created huge stockpiles of coal. Thatcher's preparations proved useful in mitigating the negative impact of the infamous miner's strike led by Arthur Scargill in 1984-85)
Economic policies:
She restored free-market principles that were used to replace the post-war consensus
She instituted monetarism: the deregulation of financial markets and the modernisation of the city of London, which internationalised the London Stock Exchange
She lowered income taxes, especially on high incomes but switched to a more regressive VAT and a poll tax
Thatcher also privatised state-owned assets such as British Airways and the rail industries
Foreign policies:
Thatcher united the UK and increased its role and reputation globally, whilst encouraging a sense of national pride by successfully prosecuting the Falklands War
She continued the decolonisation process
Thatcher took a firm stance against the Soviet Union and fostered a close relationship with US president Ronald Reagan
Her firm approach to foreign policy earned her the reputation as the 'Iron Lady'. In Europe, she was known for her 'handbag diplomacy'
Major cabinet reshuffles and division within the party
1986: Michael Heseltine resigned from defence secretary
1989: Nigel Lawson resigned from chancellor of the exchequer
1990: Geoffrey Howe resigned from deputy Prime Minister
1990: Margaret Thatcher resigned
Prominent events during premiership
In the face of mounting unemployment (it reached 2 million for the first time), she was urged by Conservative critics to 'U-turn' from her spending cuts agenda, replying 'You turn if you want to, the Lady's not for turning!"
IN 1981, there were riots - described as 'race riots' - across several English cities. The main riots were in Brixton in London, Handsworth in Birmingham, Chapeltown in Leeds and Toxteth in Liverpool
IRA and INLA prisoners in the Maize prison, in Northern Ireland, went on hunger strike, demanding that they should be deemed political prisoners. Elected Sinn Fein MP, Bobby Sands, died during the hunger strike, leading to widespread international condemnation of the government's handling of the situation (although reaction in the UK was mostly supportive of the government, standing firm against terrorism). Several other prisoners died. The already bitter conflict intensified
In 1982, unemployment passed 3 million for the first time since the 1930s
Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982 and Thatcher sent a taskforce to retake the islands for the UK. A key moment in the conflict was the sinking of the General Belgrano - an Argentine ship. Thatcher personally ordered the torpedoing of the ship which, it later transpired, was sailing away from an exclusion zone, prompting an angry response from anti-war MPs and campaigners
However, the general public was supportive of the Falklands War and Thatcher's role in it, massively turning around her popularity ratings and contributing to her landslide victory in the 1983 General Election
In 1984, the National of Union of Mineworkers (NUM) went on strike, in opposition to the closure of a large number of pits. The government had stockpiled coal and have been accused of deliberately provoking the strike (an NUM strike a decade earlier had brought down the Heath government, in 1974, and the government wanted to break the power of the union). The strike went on for over a year, with bloody scenes of conflict between pickets and police, including the infamous Battle of Orgreave. Eventually the miners went back to work and, unlike in 74, the government had won, and greatly reduced union power and militancy. The public were divided over the strike, with many on the left and in the north firmly backing the strikers, contributing to Thatcher being seen as a deeply divisive political figure even today, with may passionate in their support for and opposition to her premiership and legacy
In 1984, the IRA bombed the Grand Hotel in Brighton, during the Conservative Party conference, in an attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher. Five people were killed and many seriously injured, including the wife of cabinet minister, Norman Tebbit
In 1986 there was a row over helicopters - the Westland affair - which exacerbated the disagreements between Margaret Thatcher and her charismatic cabinet member Michael Heseltine (known as 'Tarzan'). Heseltine resigned and became a focus of anti-Thatcher feeling on the government backbenches and an alternative leader in waiting
Also in 1986, Margaret Thatcher gave a famous interview where she is often quoted as saying 'there is no such thing as society'. What she actually said was: 'and what is society? There is no such thing! There are just individuals and their families'
The Thatcher government won another election in 1987, against Neil Kinnock's Labour party which, although less empathetic than in 1983, meant Thatcher still had a comfortable majority to push through her programme
In 1990 there were riots in London as people protested the Community Charge, which was popularly known as the Poll Tax. There were also prison riots at Strangeways in the same year
Circumstances of loss of power
Started with Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech
Tony Blair (Labour 1997-2007)
Major cabinet reshuffles and division within the party
1999:
Margaret Beckett became Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Baroness Jay of Paddington becomes Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women
Stephen Byers becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Ann Taylor becomes Chief Whip, which became a cabinet position
Jack Cunningham becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Nick Brown becomes Minister of agriculture, fisheries and food
Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Social Security
Peter Mandelson moves from being Minister without Portfolio to being Trade and Industry Secretary
John Reid becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings)
David Simon, Baron Simon of Highbury left as the trade minister responsible for preparing Britain joining the euro
Prominent events during premiership
The death of Princess Diana. Tony Blair 'spoke for the nation' when he spoke of the 'people's princess'
There was an early scandal after Labour were accused of exempting Formula 1 from a band of tobacco advertising and sponsorship in exchange from a £1 million donation from Bernie Ecclestone. They returned the donation and Blair made a personal TV appearance explaining the matter
Terrorist atrocities by dissident groups in Northern Ireland, such as the Omagh bombing which killed 29 people in 1998
Britain was involved in a number of wars and conflicts in this period, including a bombing campaign against Iraq in 1998, intervention in Kosovo (1999), Sierra Leone (2000), air strikes and invasion of Afghanistan (from 2001), as well as the Iraq war in 2003
Far right terrorist attacks in London in 1999 (a campaign of nail bombs targeted at various minorities in the city)
Protest by lorry drivers and farmers over the cost of fuel
The foot and mouth crisis
Reaction to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York (Blair pledged to stand 'shoulder to shoulder with George W Bush)
Huge protests and government resignations against joining the war in Iraq
The death of a weapons expert, Dr David Kelly (who had briefed the media suggesting the government had 'sexed up' intelligence reports about Iraq) leads to a major crisis and inquiry. The inquiry eventually concludes that the BBC were most at fault, and largely cleared the government of wrongdoing
Large backbench rebellions on a range of issues through the period, from lone-parent benefits in 1997, through the Iraq war, tuition fees, foundation hospitals and other issues from 2003 and defeat in the Commons over anti-terror legislation in 2005
The 7/7 bombings in 2005
The 'cash for honours' crisis where it was alleged that Tony Blair would hand out honours and peerages to individuals who made large donations to the Labour party
Jeered and heckled at his final TUC speech
Examples of key policies
Making the Bank of England independent (therefore allowing it set interest rates without political interference)
Devolution to Scotland and Wales
The Good Friday Agreement was reached, beginning a peace process in Northern Ireland (and securing devolution to Northern Ireland)
Introduced the national minimum wage
Lords reform : removing most of the hereditary peers from the chamber
Freedom of Information Act
Controversial public sector reforms (including foundation hospitals and academies)
Introducing tuition fees and later trebling them to £3000 a year
A range of controversial anti-terror proposals
Circumstances of loss of power
Rishi Sunak (Conservative 2022-present)
Examples of key policies
Major cabinet reshuffles and division within the party
February 2023:
Greg Hands went from Minister of State for trade policy to Chairman of the Conservative Party
Grant Shapps went from Secretary of State for business, energy and industrial strategy to Secretary of State for energy security and net zero
Kemi Badenoch went from Secretary of State for international trade to Secretary of State for business and trade
Michelle Donelan went from Secretary of State for digital, culture, media and sport to Secretary of State for science, innovation and technology
Lucy Frazer went from Minister of State for housing and planning to Secretary of State for culture, media and sport
Oliver Dowden went from Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office
November 2023:
Suella Braverman went from Home Secretary to being dismissed from the government
James Cleverly went from Foreign Secretary to Home Secretary
David Cameron joined the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary
Therese Coffey went from Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs to resigning from the government
Steve Barclay went from Secretary of State for health and social care to Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs
Richard Holden went from Parliamentary under Secretary of State for roads and local transport to Chairman of the Conservative Party
Victoria Atkins went from Financial Secretary to the Treasury to Secretary of State for health and social care
Laura Trott went from Parliamentary under Secretary of State for pensions to Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Jeremy Quin went from Minister for the Cabinet Office to resigning from the government
Greg Hands went from Chairman of the Conservative Party to Minister of State for trade policy
John Glen went from Chief Secretary to the Treasury to Minister for the Cabinet Office
Esther McVey went from Backbench MP to Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office
Prominent events during premiership
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David Cameron (Conservative 2010-16)
Examples of key policies
Marriage (same-sex couples) Act 2013
Increasing student fees
UK Government Austerity Programme
Major cabinet reshuffles and divisions within the party
Kenneth Clarke: Lord Chancellor Secretary of State for justice -> Made Minister without portfolio
Chris Grayling: Minister of State for employment -> Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for justice
Cheryl Gillan: Secretary of State for Wales -> Sacked, returned to backbenches
Justine Greening: Secretary of State for transport -> Secretary of State for international development
Jeremy Hunt: Secretary of State for culture, media and sport -> Secretary of State for health
David Jones: Undersecretary of State for Wales -> Secretary of State for Wales and appointed to Privy Council
Andrew Lansley: Secretary of State for health -> Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
David Laws: Backbencher -> Minister of State for education and the Cabinet Office
Patrick McLoughlin: Chief Whip -> Secretary of State for transport
Maria Miller: Undersecretary of State for disabled people -> Secretary of State for culture, media and sport and appointed to the Privy Council
Andrew Mitchell: Secretary of State for international development -> Chief Whip
Owen Paterson: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland -> Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs
Grant Shapps: Minister of State for housing and planning -> Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without portfolio
Caroline Spelman: Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs -> Sacked, returned to backbenches
Theresa Villiers: Minister of State for transport -> Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Baroness Warsi: Chairman of the Conservative Party, Minister without portfolio -> Senior Minister of State
Sir George Young: Leader of the House of Commons -> Retired to backbenches and made a Companion of Honour
Prominent events during premiership
Boris Johnson
Theresa May