Irrespective of your political leanings, there’s no denying the fact that Margaret Thatcher had an impressive way with words. A tireless workaholic, the Prime Minister was often seen with pen in hand or doing her duties more publically with the help of a speech writer. Here are Mrs Thatcher’s best – if you’re inclined to deem anything of her’s impressive – spoken words, explained:
“There’s no such thing as society”
Many deem that Thatcher premiership as survival of the fittest due to the Iron Lady’s steely attitude. Born into a lower-middle class family before ascending to the heights of Oxford University and then parliament, it is hardly surprising that Thatcher would be heavily individualist and therefore attempt to remove any blame within smaller societies upon the larger government.
“You turn if you want to… the lady’s not for turning”
From the Conservative Party Conference in 1980, this quote is a sly jab at Thatcher’s predecessor, Ted Heath’s, reversal of policy in the early 1970’s which was coined a ‘U-Turn’. After unemployment rose to a staggering 2 million just one year into the Thatcher premiership, the Prime Minister was urged to perform the aforementioned U-Turn – however, Thatcher refused and continued to perform economic liberalisation wherein she lessened government controls and also restricted the amount of money in circulation.
“No! No! No!”
Yes – Thatcher is not the first person to say no three times in succession, yet if you ask somebody to satirise the former Prime Minister you’ll likely hear this. As her political career was set for demise, Eurosceptic Mrs Thatcher added fuel to the fire by staunchly stating that she’d refuse to hand over any more control to the European Commission in fear of a European superstate. Unbeknownst to her, it was this attitude when discussing Europe that encouraged Geoffrey Howe, then Deputy Prime Minister, to deliver his resignation speech and fully destroy Thatcher’s career.
“It was treachery with a smile on its face”
When speaking in 1993, three years after being ‘deposed’ by her own allies, the Iron Lady discussed the key players in her demise, albeit implicitly. Apart from Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech, many other men in the Thatcher cabinet proceeded to betray their Prime Minister. Michael Heseltine, for one, opposed the Prime Minister openly by claiming that he would stand against her as leader, as well as Chancellor Nigel Lawson and his vastly different views on the economy. These men, Thatcher’s closest allies, formed an invulnerable allegiance.
Past and Modern Societies 