Why Did Thatcher Resign As Prime Minister: Growing Isolation And Unpopularity

Question 1

How had the governments difficulties already been reflected by polls ?

Answer 1

April 1989
- By election in Vale of Glamorgan Labour won by 600 votes

not isolated incident

Mid Staffordshire by election March 1990
- Conservative majority overturned by a Labour majority of 9400

June 1990
- Labour ahead by 16 points in the opinion polls

Question 2

What were the Conservative fears ?

Answer 2

If Thatcher remained in power the Conservative would loose the next election

Question 3

How was the strength of Thatcher challenged ?

Answer 3

A fairly unknown candidate Sir Anthony Meyer challenged Thatcher for her Leadership
- in a ballot he won 33 votes and a further 30 odd abstained
- a level of discontent in the country towards Thatcher was not only tangeable in terms of election result but within her own party

Question 4

What was the context to Howes speech (the most influential challenge to Thatcher)

Answer 4

• unexpected as he had been a staunch ally of Thatcher and was the only Minister with a record of cabinet service since 1979
• he had come to dislike her eurosceptic policies and speeches
• the most major sign of discontent seen as symptomatic of Thatchers reign as British Prime Minister coming to an end

Question 5

When and what was Howes speech ?

Answer 5

1 November 1990
- to the House of Commons and it immediately caused a sensation
- he claimed in a comparison to cricket it was as if the first batsman had gone up to find his bat destroyed by the captain
- it demonstrated Thatchers approach as perceived as harmful to the country and borderline spitefully backwards
- it openly called for a challenge to this leadership