1. 4SSIE001 – Challenges and Transformations: British Political History Since 1945

2. Module Leader: Dr Michael Kandiah (Michael.Kandiah@kcl.ac.uk) Institute of Contemporary British History, N.227, 2nd Norfolk Building, Surrey Street, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS. (Office Hours: Most Mondays, 16.00-17.00, and Wednesdays, 13.00-14.00. Appointments recommended)

3. Lecture: Lecture: Thatcher & Major

4. Thatcher Administrations 1979-83 1983-87 1987-90

5. 1979 General Election PartySeatsVotes% Conservative 339 13,697,92343.9 Labour 269 11,532,21836.9 Liberal 11 4,313,80413.8 Others 16

6. Thatcher: First Administration The “Iron Lady” “A Conviction Politician” not a “Consensus Politics” Monetarism – “There is no alternative” Relationship with Ronald Reagan – Cold War politics The Falklands War

7. 1983 General Election PartySeatsVotes%±% Conservative39713,012,31642.4–1.5 Labour2098,456,93427.6–9.3 Liberal Democrat/ SDP Alliance 237,780,94925.4+11.6 Others21

8. Thatcher: Second Administration Privatisation Reform of the Civil Service Deregulation of the Stock Market 1986 – “The Big Bang” IRA – the Brighton Bomb & Anglo-Irish Agreement 1985 Single European Act 1986 Finding Gorbachev

9. 1987 General Election

10. Thatcher: Third Administration “There is no such thing as society” - 1987 South Africa Bruges Speech 1988 The Poll Tax End of the Cold War & German Unification Gulf War Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech – 1 Nov 1990

11. John Major – 1 st administration Gulf War Keeping Britain “At heart of Europe” Continuing Privatisation “Back to Basics” and the Citizens’ Charter

12. 1992 General Election

13. John Major – 2 nd Administration Black Wednesday & Withdrawal from ERM 1992 Maastricht Treaty 1992 “The Bastards” 1993 Sleaze Leadership crisis - 1995 Economic management – Chancellors Norman Lamont & Ken Clarke Process leading to the Good Friday Accords 1998