Why Did Thatcher Fall From Power?

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Why did Thatcher fall from power? There is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher was one of the most controversial post-war politicians who governed Britain. Since 1979, Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Britain, but by being in power for so long, it ultimately led to her downfall. In the South, Thatcher was admired and much-loved, yet she was loathed by working-class men in much of the North. One of the reasons for her downfall was because of her relationship with her cabinet. Thatcher was not a team player. She appeared to be bossy and dominant whilst she was Prime Minister. The Liberal leader, Paddy Ashdown recalls her personality in "The Ashdown Diaries". He recalls "Maggie fussed around, bullied us into two lines... then she proceeded to go down the lined up Cabinet like a sergeant". This personality would not have been popular amongst her party and would favour opposition parties as they could see splits in the Conservative government. Another reason why Thatcher fell from power is because of Michael Heseltine. Commonly known as "Tarzan" due to his beautiful, flowing locks and his muscular, burly attitude, Heseltine and Thatcher shared a rivalry greater than any other in the Conservative party. On one particular occasion, Heseltine and Thatcher argued over a bid for the British helicopter company. Margaret Thatcher and the Minister of Trade (Leon Brittan) preferred an American bid. However "Tarzan" as Minister of Defence preferred a European bid. Ultimately the neither of them came to an agreement and "Tarzan" left the cabinet in January 1986. Further more in 1989, Anthony Meyer also challenged her leadership. This was an audacious attempt and it did not succeed wither, but it showed the growing disillusionment among the Tory ranks. This led to her downfall because it showed that Thatcher was losing support from her own cabinet, members were willing to
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