Thatcher's Trial

Thatcher's Trial PDF Author: Kwasi Kwarteng
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610395638
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
In six months, Margaret Thatcher reinvented her political party and redefined modern conservatism in one of the greatest feats of modern political leadership. In 1981, less than two years after she had been elected as Britain's first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher was deemed unpopular and out of touch. Unemployment had risen to levels not seen since the 1930s, and the state's finances were foundering. Her chancellor of the exchequer delivered what became known as the 'no hope' budget in March, which marked the beginning of a period of an almost unprecedentedly broad range of political challenges: hunger strikes and violent protests in Northern Ireland, urban riots in London and Liverpool, and visible discontent with Thatcher from within the Conservative Party. And yet by September 14, when Thatcher sacked 4 mutinous grandees from her cabinet, the prime minister had firmly reasserted her authority. These extraordinary six months would come to define the Conservative Party's most successful and modern leader, who reshaped the ideas and direction of conservatism around the world. To her detractors she may have been a harsh, uncaring and dogmatic leader who made the country a more unequal, materialistic and brutal place, but to her supporters, she was nothing less than a Conservative savior who prevented Britain from becoming an ungovernable socialist state. The 1983 general election would prove a triumph. Kwasi Kwarteng intimately captures this shopkeeper's daughter's unique leadership qualities -- from her pulpit-style and New Testament imagery to her emphasis on personal moral responsibility -- that saw her through some of the most adverse conditions facing any world leader in modern peacetime.

Thatcher's Trial

Thatcher's Trial PDF Author: Kwasi Kwarteng
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610395638
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Get Book

Book Description
In six months, Margaret Thatcher reinvented her political party and redefined modern conservatism in one of the greatest feats of modern political leadership. In 1981, less than two years after she had been elected as Britain's first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher was deemed unpopular and out of touch. Unemployment had risen to levels not seen since the 1930s, and the state's finances were foundering. Her chancellor of the exchequer delivered what became known as the 'no hope' budget in March, which marked the beginning of a period of an almost unprecedentedly broad range of political challenges: hunger strikes and violent protests in Northern Ireland, urban riots in London and Liverpool, and visible discontent with Thatcher from within the Conservative Party. And yet by September 14, when Thatcher sacked 4 mutinous grandees from her cabinet, the prime minister had firmly reasserted her authority. These extraordinary six months would come to define the Conservative Party's most successful and modern leader, who reshaped the ideas and direction of conservatism around the world. To her detractors she may have been a harsh, uncaring and dogmatic leader who made the country a more unequal, materialistic and brutal place, but to her supporters, she was nothing less than a Conservative savior who prevented Britain from becoming an ungovernable socialist state. The 1983 general election would prove a triumph. Kwasi Kwarteng intimately captures this shopkeeper's daughter's unique leadership qualities -- from her pulpit-style and New Testament imagery to her emphasis on personal moral responsibility -- that saw her through some of the most adverse conditions facing any world leader in modern peacetime.

Margaret Thatcher's Case against Democratic Socialism and Keynesian Economics

Margaret Thatcher's Case against Democratic Socialism and Keynesian Economics PDF Author: Eric R. Crouse
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1793650187
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 185

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Book Description
Britain experienced two stunning developments in the late 1970s. Post-war Keynesianism and big government fell out of favor, and, for the first time, British voters chose a female prime minister. When Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, she was the first leader to oppose the consensus views of both the Labour Party and centrist Tories who, in varying degrees, accepted Keynesianism and state ownership of industry. The author argues that with her faith in monetarism, Thatcher paved the way for a significant realignment of the Conservative Party and British politics. With her traditional conservatism stretching back to her childhood years and her receptiveness to free-market arguments that revealed the economic shortcomings of Keynesianism and socialism, she developed a strong case against government management of the economy. The author explains that Thatcher’s fight for economic change had both dramatic and subtle stages. In the end, the issue of inflation altered British economics and politics and Thatcher was there to take advantage of the moment and score a victory over “socialism.”

Thatcher's Trial

Thatcher's Trial PDF Author: Kwasi Kwarteng
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781408859186
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description


Final Appeal

Final Appeal PDF Author: Colin Thatcher
Publisher: ECW/ORIM
ISBN: 1554905478
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 415

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Book Description
The Canadian politician who was convicted of murder tells his story—and argues for his innocence. In 1984, Colin Thatcher was convicted of killing his ex-wife and sentenced to life in prison. The murder and trial provoked a national media frenzy, casting the once-prominent Saskatchewan politician as the villain. After serving twenty-two years, Thatcher was released and finally able to offer his own account of what happened from the time of the murder up until he left prison. Though firmly proclaiming his innocence from the start, he is now able to go behind the bureaucratic red tape and provide full disclosure, including evidence not seen at the trial, legal documents, and personal correspondence, ultimately questioning the public’s faith in local law enforcement, mainstream media, and justice.

The Twelve Monotasks

The Twelve Monotasks PDF Author: Thatcher Wine
Publisher: Little, Brown Spark
ISBN: 0316705535
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Reclaim your attention, productivity, and happiness with this “captivating, informative and beautifully written” book by learning how to keep your focus on one familiar task at a time (Nate Berkus). Modern life is full of to-do lists, all-consuming technology and the constant pressure to be doing and striving for more. What if you could train your brain to focus on one thing at a time? What if the secret to better productivity involved doing less, not more? Drawing on research in psychology, neuroscience, and mindfulness, The Twelve Monotasks provides a clear and accessible plan for life in the twenty-first century. Practice resisting distractions and building focus by doing the things you already do—like reading, sleeping, eating, and listening—with renewed attention. For example, the next time you go for a walk, don’t try to run an errand or squeeze in a phone call, but instead, notice the cool breeze on your face and the plants and birds that may cross your path. Immerse yourself in the activity and let time melt away, even if you’re only actually out for 20 minutes. Notice how much clearer your head feels when you return home. This is the magic of monotasking. With monotasking you will: Become more productive Produce higher quality work Reduce stress And increase happiness. Thatcher Wine’s The Twelve Monotasks will help you do one thing at a time, and do it well, so you can enjoy all of your life!

Margaret Thatcher: At Her Zenith

Margaret Thatcher: At Her Zenith PDF Author: Charles Moore
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307958973
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 880

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Book Description
In June 1983 Margaret Thatcher won the biggest increase in a government’s parliamentary majority in British electoral history. Over the next four years, as Charles Moore relates in this central volume of his uniquely authoritative biography, Britain’s first woman prime minister changed the course of her country’s history and that of the world, often by sheer force of will. The book reveals as never before how Mrs. Thatcher transformed relations with Europe, privatized the commanding heights of British industry and continued the reinvigoration of the British economy. It describes her role on the world stage with dramatic immediacy, identifying Mikhail Gorbachev as “a man to do business with” before he became leader of the Soviet Union, and then persistently pushing him and Ronald Reagan, her great ideological soul mate, to order world affairs according to her vision. For the only time since Churchill, she ensured that Britain had a central place in dealings between the superpowers. But even at her zenith she was beset by difficulties. Reagan would deceive her during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. She lost the minister to whom she was personally closest to scandal and faced calls for her resignation. She found herself isolated within her own government. She was at odds with the Queen over the Commonwealth and South Africa. She bullied senior colleagues and she set in motion the poll tax. Both these last would later return to wound her, fatally. Charles Moore has had unprecedented access to all of Mrs. Thatcher’s private and government papers. The participants in the events described have been so frank in interviews that we feel we are eavesdropping on their conversations as they pass. We look over Mrs. Thatcher’s shoulder as she vigorously annotates documents and as she articulates her views in detail, and we understand for the first time how closely she relied on a handful of trusted advisers to carry out her will. We see her as a public performer, an often anxious mother, a workaholic and the first woman in Western democratic history who truly came to dominate her country in her time. In the early hours of October 12, 1984, during the Conservative party conference in Brighton, the IRA attempted to assassinate her. She carried on within hours to give her leader’s speech at the conference. One of her many left-wing critics, watching her that day, said, “I don’t approve of her as Prime Minister, but by God she’s a great tank commander.” This titanic figure, with all her capabilities and her flaws, storms from these pages as from no other book.

War and Gold

War and Gold PDF Author: Kwasi Kwarteng
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610391969
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 441

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Book Description
The world was wild for gold. After discovering the Americas, and under pressure to defend their vast dominion, the Habsburgs of Spain promoted gold and silver exploration in the New World with ruthless urgency. But, the great influx of wealth brought home by plundering conquistadors couldn't compensate for the Spanish government's extraordinary military spending, which would eventually bankrupt the country multiple times over and lead to the demise of the great empire. Gold became synonymous with financial dependability, and following the devastating chaos of World War I, the gold standard came to express the order of the free market system. Warfare in pursuit of wealth required borrowing -- a quickly compulsive dependency for many governments. And when people lost confidence in the promissory notes and paper currencies issued during wartime, governments again turned to gold. In this captivating historical study, Kwarteng exposes a pattern of war-waging and financial debt -- bedmates like April and taxes that go back hundreds of years, from the French Revolution to the emergence of modern-day China. His evidence is as rich and colorful as it is sweeping. And it starts and ends with gold.

Promised You a Miracle

Promised You a Miracle PDF Author: Andy Beckett
Publisher: Allen Lane
ISBN: 9781846145155
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In the cold, dark summer of 1981, crowds gathering in Britain's streets could mean a royal wedding - or a riot. Margaret Thatcher's government, taking power on a promise of renewal, seemed in catastrophic decline. Britain remained troubled, inward-looking, run down by recession, transfixed by the threat of nuclear war. Yet, within this bleak landscape, something was stirring. Promised You A Miracle is the extraordinary untold story of Britain's revolution in the head- a shift in mass consciousness in which an old, self-doubting nation was transformed into something else- outward-looking, materialistic, colourful, lonely and cruel. In the early eighties, a new world was messily brought into being- a miner's son transformed the rubble-strewn flatness of London's docklands into a new city centre of high rise and high finance; austere post-punk bands abandoned their leftwing politics and grey overcoats for glossy transatlantic careers; a loose-tongued, PR-savvy young socialist seized London's city hall; and a small start-up in west Yorkshire, in the middle of the Falklands war, made a gadget the size of a gold bar that stopped the British task force from being blown apart. Leading us into these years of brittle optimism and upheaval, Andy Beckett asks why Britain changed so rapidly and fundamentally; what it felt like to be part of this convulsive change - or to be left behind; and how people were swept up in it, sometimes without realising. Yet the effects of this revolution would ripple outwards, across the world - and we are still living with the consequences, happily or otherwise.

A Diplomatic Meeting

A Diplomatic Meeting PDF Author: James Cooper
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 081315457X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
Drawing on a host of recently declassified documents from the Reagan-Thatcher years, A Diplomatic Meeting: Reagan, Thatcher, and the Art of Summitry provides an innovative framework for understanding the development and nature of the special relationship between British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and American president Ronald Reagan, who were known as "political soulmates." James Cooper boldly challenges the popular conflation of the leaders' platforms, and proposes that Reagan and Thatcher's summitry highlighted unique features of domestic policy in their respective countries. Summits, therefore, were a significant opportunity for the two world leaders to further their own domestic agendas. Cooper uses the relationship between Reagan and Thatcher to demonstrate that summitry politics transcended any distinction between foreign policy and domestic politics—a major objective of Reagan and Thatcher as they sought to consolidate power and implement their domestic economic programs in a parallel quest to reverse notions of their countries' "decline." This unique and significant study about the making of the Reagan-Thatcher relationship uses their key meetings as an avenue to explore the fluidity between the domestic and international spheres, a perspective that is underappreciated in existing interpretations of the leaders' relationship and Anglo-American relations and, more broadly, in the field of international affairs.

Ghosts of Empire

Ghosts of Empire PDF Author: Kwasi Kwarteng
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1408829002
Category : Decolonization
Languages : en
Pages : 497

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Book Description
This fascinating book shows how the later years of the British Empire were characterised by accidental oversights, irresponsible opportunism and uncertain pragmatism.