News has just broken online, that Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has passed away from a stroke.
Thatcher, aged 87, was a conservative party representative and the only British Prime Minister to win three consecutive terms in office.
Thatcher, who was known as the ‘Iron Lady’, made significant restructures to the British economy, that led to her becoming an extremely polarising political figure and hated amongst the left and the union movement.
The Times political correspondent Michael Howard has taken to Twitter to describe the late Lady Thatcher as “a titan in British politics. I believe she saved our country.”
The press association reports that “The Queen is sad to hear the news of the death of Baroness Thatcher and Her Majesty will be sending a private message of sympathy to the family, Buckingham Palace said today.”
Thatcher won the nation’s top job only six years after declaring in a television interview, “I don’t think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime.”
During her time at the helm of the British government, she emphasized moral absolutism, nationalism, and the rights of the individual versus that of the state — famously declaring, “There is no such thing as society” in 1987.
Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” by the Soviet press after a 1976 speech declaring that “the Russians are bent on world dominance,” Thatcher later enjoyed a close working relationship with U.S. President Reagan, with whom she shared similar conservative views.
But the British cold warrior played a key role in ending the conflict by giving her stamp of approval to Soviet Communist reformer Mikhail Gorbachev shortly before he came to power.
Tributes are starting to flow in online. Mamamia will keep you updated throughout the evening and will have more to say on the subject from our opinion leaders on women and politics, tomorrow.
The news has broken while our Publisher Mia Freedman is appearing on ABC’s Q and A program on its first all-female panel. The panel are discussing the passing of Margaret Thatcher on air this evening, if you’d like to tune in to ABC1.
Top Comments
Didn't Tony Blair win three consecutive terms too?
During Q&A the Thatcher news item changed Q&A to the new subject with instant, interesting comments. I can find no internet references to Thatcher's part in the war crimes, arms deals and BOAC bribery mentioned but most of this stuff slips under the radar. Other posts below mention dictators and Thatcher's tough policies seem typical of the usual mindset of CEO's and politicians where you strip assets, sell the farm and to hell with those that bought it as they then have to buy it again or purely feed the profits of multi-nationals. OZ food supply and water pollution with short term gains from fracking are a major concern before the usual vote-getting government wastages on pet projects instead of major infra-structure. SA had its State Bank Disaster years before the GFC but no one learned any lessons. So SA sold ETSA. So SA now has the highest power prices in OZ, tough, Capitalism rules. May Q&A continue to prick the conscience of our leaders to think, to lead and not just chase votes.
If you google arms deals and Saudi Arabia or Al-Yamamah you should be able to get some good info on the arms deals stuff and her sons role in the 'commissions'.