Thatcherism

Peter Dorey

Description

Margaret Thatcher, prime minister between 1979 and 1990, was and continues to be a hugely divisive figure in Britain. Her influence on British politics has long outlived her, with the Conservative Party becoming steadily more Thatcherite than it was under her leadership, especially on economic issues. Policies that support privatization, curbs on trade unions and employment rights (to promote further labour market flexibility), reduction in welfare provision, the replacement of collectivism with individualism, and the marketization of public services, including the NHS and education, are all Thatcherism in practice, and still continue today.

Peter Dorey offers a lively analysis of how Thatcherism became an ideology for politics to conjure with, its relationship with its eponymous leader and with the Conservative Party, as well as the long-term implications for the British people. He argues that the radical modernization of Britain that started under Thatcher’s leadership in the 1980s has created the conditions that have led to the polarization of British society today; a process that was profoundly unconservative in its values and approach, destabilizing institutions which Conservatives once deemed sacrosanct, and replacing continuity and solidity with constant change and competition.

1. Why Margaret Thatcher became Conservative Party leader and prime minister

2. The development of Thatcherism: intellectual origins and ideological framework

3. The key policies

4. Thatcher’s management and domination of the parliamentary Conservative Party

5. The Thatcherization of the Conservative Party since 1990

6. The contradictions and consequences of Thatcherism

Concluding comments

Chronology

Sujets

• Political Ideologies
• Political Science
• Victorian morality
• Conservative Party
• General officer
• Neoliberalism
• Ideology
• Free trade
• Politics
• Falklands War
• Conservatism
• General
• Poll tax
• Keith Joseph
• History
• Parti conservateur

Informations

• Publié par: Agenda Publishing
• Date de parution: 30 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781788215497
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Short Hîstorîes

Agenda Sor Hîsorîes are încîsîve and provocaîve înroducîons o opîcs, îdeas and evens or sudens wanîng o now more abou ow we go were we are oday.

PubIshed

Conservaîsm Mar Garne

hacerîsm Peer Dorey

Thatcherîsm

Peter Dorey

© Peer Dorey 2023

hîs boo îs copyrîg under e Berne Convenîon. No reproducîon wîou permîssîon. A rîgs reserved.

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ïSBN 978-1-78821-547-3 (ardcover) ïSBN 978-1-78821-548-0 (paperbac)

British Library CataloguinginPublication Data A caaogue record or îs boo îs avaîabe rom e Brîîs îbrary

Typese by JS Typeseîng d, Porcaw, Mîd Gamorgan Prîned and bound în e UK by TJ Boos

Contents

Preace 1 Wy Margare hacer became Conservaîve Pary eader  and prîme mînîser 2 he deveopmen o hacerîsm: îneecua orîgîns and  îdeoogîca ramewor 3 he ey poîcîes 4 hacer’s managemen and domînaîon o e  parîamenary Conservaîve Pary 5 he hacerîzaîon o e Conservaîve Pary sînce 1990 6 he conradîcîons and consequences o hacerîsm  Concudîng commens Cronoogy Reerences ïndex

vîî

1

23 51

83 109 131 159 167 171 183

v

PreFace

Ten years ater Margare hacer’s dea, and wî er ree-mare or neoîbera pîosopy seemîngy bese by încreasîng conLîcs and con- radîcîons, and ereore subjec o growîng crîîcîsm, îs îs a îmey opporunîy o revîsî er eponymous îdeoogy. ïn îs sor boo, e ey conceps, objecîves and poîcîes o hacerîsm are examîned, în andem wî e îneecua sources, argumens and dîscourse wîc saped and underpînned î. he boo aso consîders ow hacer and er îdeoogîca aderens exercîsed a domînance în e Conservaîve Pary ar greaer an eîr acua numerîca sreng în e 1980s, and e exen o wîc hacerîsm subsequeny became egemonîc în e Conservaîve Pary, parîcuary în erms o e conînued, îndeed, înensîIed, commîmen o ree-mare economîcs, ow dîrec axaîon, prîvaîzaîon, dereguaîon, “mareîzaîon” o pubîc servîces, reduced worers’ rîgs and empoymen proecîon o promoe abour mar- e Lexîbîîy and resore managerîa auorîy în e worpace, and reeness aemps o reduce weare expendîure and enîemen. So enrenced as economîc neoîberaîsm become în e Conservaîve Pary, a amos any probems în e Brîîs economy and socîey are înerpreed as evîdence a e hacerîe revouîon îs sî încompee. ïn an addîîona caper, we examîne some o e conradîcîons or unînended consequences o hacerîsm a ave become încreasîngy evîden sînce e 1980s. hese încude e manner în wîc e 1986 dereguaîon o Inancîa servîces usered în an era o unprecedened consumer borrowîng and spendîng, wîc was oay a odds wî hacer’s own mora srîcures abou persona rugaîy, se-resraîn and rît; e new modes and ayers o reguaory bureaucracy yîeded by prîvaîzaîon and “mareîzaîon” o pubîc servîces îe educaîon and eacare, în spîe o hacerîe denîgraîon o red ape and sae înererence; e manner în wîc e ransormaîon o unîversîîes

vii

THATCHERISM

îno busînesses, and sudens îno ee-payîng cusomers, as ed o a proîeraîon o degrees în subjecs wîc e Conservaîve rîg vîew wî deep dîsdaîn and dîsapprova, bu wîc unîversîîes Ind proIabe because many sudens (as sovereîgn consumers) wîs o sudy em; e genera weaenîng o vaues and vîrues wîc Conservaîves ave radîîonay revered and deended – communîy, conînuîy, deerence, amîy îe, organîc socîey, recîproca duîes and responsîbîîîes, socîa armony and sabîîy – ese avîng been grîevousy undermîned by e hacerîe veneraîon o acquîsîîve îndîvîduaîsm, cange/mod- ernîzaîon, compeîîon, consumerîsm, e negaîve împac on amî- îes o onger or more unsocîa worîng ours and/or unafordabe ousîng, and sor-ermîsm (în e economîc spere) as companîes see o încrease proIs or sare-oder vaue as quîcy as possîbe, raer an adopîng a onger-erm sance. hîs as greay încreased job însecurîy and precarîy among e worîng cass and mîdde cass aîe, aong wî a reeness înensîIcaîon o e abour process and mîcro-managemen o worers vîa arge-seîng, monîorîng and per- ormance measuremen. hîs boo îs aso îmey because o e reaîvey recen pubîcaîon or reease o arcîva and oer prîmary sources a ofer new însîgs îno e hacer premîersîp. he hacer Foundaîon (TF) îse as proved a verîabe godmîne o orîgîna maerîa, suc as correspond- ence – oten wî hacer’s own and-wrîen commens and some- îmes acerbîc remars – beween ey Igures (suc as hacer erse, o course, Jon Hosyns, Keî Josep, Ferdînand Moun, Ared Serman, Norman Srauss and Aan Waers), drat poîcy proposas and speeces, wereas mînîserîa papers peraînîng o e aer par o e hacer premîersîp ave ony reaîvey receny been reeased by e Naîona Arcîves (NA), aoug e erswîe 30-year rue as now become a 20-year rue. hîs boo as aso consued e many auobîograpîes, dîarîes and memoîrs pubîsed în e as en years by some o hacer’s ormer coeagues, suc as Kenne Care, Oîver ewîn, Crîs Paen, Macom Rîkînd, Caroîne Sococ and Davîd Waddîngon. ïn wrîîng îs boo, and maîng use o ese new(er) sources, ï ave gaîned res însîgs and a deeper undersandîng o hacerîsm. ï very muc ope a readers wî beneI sîmîary.

Pee Dorey Ba, Somerse

viii

1

Why Margaret Thatcher became Conservatîve Party leader and prîme mînîster

Wen Margare hacer became Conservaîve eader în February 1975, se ad no ye uy embraced e prîncîpes and poîcîes wîc were subsequeny deveoped îno hacerîsm. However, se însînc- îvey perceîved a e pa cosen by e poswar Conservaîve Pary ad been a mîsae, and er experîences as a mînîser în Edward Hea’s 1970–74 cabîne reînorced er growîng convîcîon – uy sared by Keî Josep – a e Conservaîves needed a cange o îdeoogîca dîrecîon. A îs sage, owever, er însîncîve îdeas and pîosopy were no uy ormed, so a a e îme o e Conservaîve eadersîp cones, hacer ad ony receny embared upon er process o poî- îca reappraîsa and searc or a new mode o Conservaîsm. ï as been wîdey beîeved a în e 1975 Conservaîve eadersîp cones, many Conservaîve MPs voed or hacer prîmarîy because ey were deermîned o repace Hea, and mos o e oer eadersîp conenders were îs aîes or assocîaes: “Eecîng Margare ad sîmpy been e mos efecîve way o geîng rîd o Ted” (Crîcey & Hacrow 1998: 60; see aso Rîdde 1985: 10). However, aoug se undoubedy araced suppor rom many Conservaîve MPs by vîrue o no beîng Hea, îs as been exaggeraed as e maîn moîve or voîng or er, and ereore underesîmaed e exen o wîc hacer genuîney appeaed o some Conservaîve MPs în er own rîg, eîer due o er apparen persona quaîîes or/and er nascen rîg-wîng vîews. Ater a, î Conservaîve MPs ad merey waned a new eader wose mos împoran caracerîsîc was a ey were “no Hea”, ere were o- ers în e second bao, suc as Wîîam Wîeaw and James Prîor, wo were assocîaed wî îm îdeoogîcay, bu were poenîay more poîîcay aracîve. ï ereore beoves us o examîne more careuy, and wî more nuance, ow and wy hacer was eeced Conservaîve eader în eary 1975.

1

THATCHERISM

hree dîscree acors need o be consîdered: e unavaîabîîy o oer candîdaes represenîng e Conservaîve rîg; e manner în wîc hacer was aready begînnîng o deveop a dîsînc îdeoog- îca sance and poîcy agenda, even oug î dîd no ye warran e soubrîque hacerîsm; e exen o wîc se ad împressed some Conservaîve MPs wî er parîamenary perormance as a sadow Treasury mînîser sînce e prevîous year’s eecîon deeas.

Thatcher as the “stalkîng horse” candîdate oF the Conservatîve rîght

ïn e 1975 Conservaîve eadersîp cones, ere were ew conend- ers represenîng e pary’s rîg, no eas because Enoc Powe, an ura-neoîbera (ong beore e erm was used) and anî-European Communîy (EC), anî-îmmîgraîon, Engîs naîonaîs, ad deeced o e User Unîonîss în e 1974 genera eecîons, due o undamen- a dîsagreemens wî ey aspecs o Conservaîve poîcy. hîs obvî- ousy precuded Powe rom sandîng as a candîdae în e subsequen Conservaîve eadersîp cones, bu ad e sî been eîgîbe, e woud amos ceraîny ave been îmmensey popuar wî e pary’s rîg, no ony because o îs saunc economîc îberaîsm, deence o par- îamenary sovereîgny and eoquence as a pubîc speaer, bu because îs 1968 (anî-îmmîgraîon) “rîvers o bood” speec ad îmmedî- aey raîsed bo îs pubîc proIe, and îs popuarîy wî secîons o Engand’s worîng cass (no dîssîmîar o Nîge Farage’s more recen proearîan appea). he oer poenîa candîdae wose deveopîng neoîberaîsm mîg ave garnered suppor rom e Conservaîve rîg was Keî Josep, bu e decîned o ofer îmse as a candîdae oowîng a poory-receîved speec în wîc e ad caîmed a: “he baance o our popuaîon, our uman soc îs reaened … [because] … a îg and rîsîng proporîon o cîdren are beîng born o moers eas Ied o brîng cîdren îno e word and o brîng em up”. He caîmed a ese overwemîngy desîue, worîng-cass moers, oten unmar- rîed and sî în eîr ae eens, “are producîng probem cîdren, e uure unmarrîed moers, deînquens, denîzens o our borsas, sub- norma educaîona esabîsmens, prîsons and oses or drîters”

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