Word: thatcherism
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...kick came with a resounding thump and set in motion a profound reversal in national fortunes that became known as Thatcherism. It is also rightly referred to as the Thatcher Revolution because the leader of the Conservative Party was a radical ideologue whose policies turned British society upside down. In recognition of her 11 1/2 years in office and her immense achievements, historians will inevitably rank her alongside Winston Churchill as the greatest of this century's British Prime Ministers...
...most remarkable successes was challenging Edward Heath for the party leadership in 1975 and winning. The Tory inner circle then consisted mainly of consensus-minded technocrats and clubby squires with no great regard for women. Thatcher's victory surprised and unsettled the old boys so badly that some columnists in London speculated last week that her ouster was in part a settling of accounts...
...price for this, of course, and Britain pays it in the form of inflation, currently at 10.9%; unemployment, at 6% and rising; and disrepair in the social-safety net that Labour had so carefully woven. Roads and railways are showing signs of neglect, homelessness has visibly increased, and Thatcher's critics charge that her kind of individualism implies greed and selfishness...
...Thatcher relinquishes power this week, but her legacy is firmly in place. Her potential Tory successors proudly describe themselves as disciples of Thatcherism and pledge to continue it. More impressive still is the opposition Labour Party's turn from leftist economics and unilateral nuclear disarmament in the past three years toward more centrist policies to compete with Thatcherism at the polls. Even if Labour wins the next election, the public will not allow it to reassemble the huge governmental edifice Thatcher pulled down...
Four years ago, Thatcher predicted, "I think, historically, the term Thatcherism will be seen as a compliment." As the proclaimed policies of her potential successors and the opposition demonstrate, that has already come to pass...