How long was margaret thatcher pm

Politically active in her youth, Thatcher served as president of the Conservative Association at the university. She earned a degree in chemistry in and went on to work as a research chemist in Colchester.

Later, she worked as a research chemist in Dartford. Two years after graduating from college, Thatcher made her first bid for public office. She ran as the conservative candidate for a Dartford parliamentary seat in the elections. Thatcher knew from the start that it would be nearly impossible to win the position away from the liberal Labour Party. Still, she earned the respect of her political party peers with her speeches. Defeated, Thatcher remained undaunted, trying again the following year, but once more her efforts were unsuccessful.

Two months after her loss, she married Denis Thatcher. In , Thatcher put politics aside for a time to study law. She and her husband welcomed twins Carol and Mark the next year. After completing her training, Thatcher qualified as a barrister, a type of lawyer, in But she didn't stay away from the political arena for too long.

Thatcher won a seat in the House of Commons in , representing Finchley. Clearly a woman on the rise, Thatcher was appointed parliamentary under secretary for pensions and national insurance in When the Labour Party assumed control of the government, she became a member of what is called the Shadow Cabinet, a group of political leaders who would hold Cabinet-level posts if their party was in power.

When Conservatives returned to office in June , Thatcher was appointed secretary of state for education and science, and dubbed "Thatcher, milk snatcher," after her abolition of the universal free school milk scheme.

She found her position frustrating, not because of all the bad press around her actions, but because she had difficulty getting Prime Minister Edward Heath to listen to her ideas.

Seemingly disenchanted on the future of women in politics, Thatcher was quoted as saying, "I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime," during a television appearance.

Thatcher soon proved herself wrong. While the Conservative Party lost power in , Thatcher became a dominant force in her political party. She was elected leader of the Conservative Party in , beating out Heath for the position. With this victory, Thatcher became the first woman to serve as the opposition leader in the House of Commons.

England was in a time of economic and political turmoil, with the government nearly bankrupt, unemployment on the rise and conflicts with labor unions. This instability helped return Conservatives to power in As party leader, Thatcher made history in May , when she was appointed Britain's first female prime minister. As prime minister, Thatcher battled the country's recession by initially raising interest rates to control inflation.

She was best known for her destruction of Britain's traditional industries through her attacks on labor organizations such as the miner's union, and for the massive privatization of social housing and public transport.

One of her staunchest allies was U. President Ronald Reagan , a fellow conservative. The two shared similar right-wing, pro-corporate political philosophies.

The aim was to reduce the role of government and increase individual self-reliance. She also became a familiar figure internationally, creating a famous friendship with US President Reagan and gaining the praise of Soviet leader Gorbachev. One great difficulty during her time in office was the issue of Europe. His resignation speech brought about events which were to lead to her exit from 10 Downing Street later that month.

Michael Heseltine challenged her for the leadership, and while he failed to win, he gained votes — enough to make it evident that a crucial minority favoured a change. Thatcher was eventually persuaded not to go forward to the second ballot, which was won by her Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major. She left the House of Commons in , and was appointed a life peerage in the House of Lords in the same year, receiving the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.

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Mrs Thatcher achieved many firsts as leader of Britain. She was the first female Prime Minister, the first leader to win three consecutive terms and the longest-serving PM of the 20th century. She competed for the role of Conservative leader against Ted Heath in and, to the surprise of many, was victorious. Mrs Thatcher was born to Methodist parents in the town of Grantham, where she attended her local grammar school. The talented student went on to study Chemistry at Oxford University, and it was here that her true passion for Conservative politics developed.

Denis accompanied Margaret on her travels around the world, and firmly supported her through her career in politics. Denis was well-known for his self-deprecating humour.

To the press, he called his wife "The Boss". Margaret gave birth on August 15 at a hospital in Hammersmith, while her husband was watching the Ashes.