MARGARET ROBERTS THATCHER - UNITED KINGDOM

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01430553
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 16, 2022
• Document Release Date: January 11, 2016
• Case Number: F-2014-01469
• Publication Date: November 13, 1986

Approved for Release: 2014/10/24 001430553
Margaret Roberts THATCHER
Prime Minister (since May 1979)
Addressed as: Prime Minister
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has led
the Conservative Party since 1975 and dominates
British politics. She is a demanding leader with
unshakable self-confidence and conviction in her
ideological and policy views. Furthermore, she sees
any willingness to compromise as a weakness.
Thatcher's unyielding
attitude and passionate commitment�once
admired by Britons�are now widely viewed as
reflecting a preachy, authoritarian attitude. As a
result, her popularity rating has dropped to its
lowest level since 1982. Nonetheless, her depressed
standing has not affected her party's overall
standing�it topped all others in a recent opinion poll. Thatcher will lead the Tories into the
next election, which we expect by mid-1987
UNITED KINGDOM
Thatcher's Dented Armor
During the past year the Thatcher government's image has been tarnished. After
leading the Tories to an overwhelming victory in the 1983 election, Thatcher chose men for
her Cabinet who were steeped in her own strain of conservatism. Since then she has replaced
many of them with younger, moderate Tories in an effort to give her administration a more
dynamic, astute, and compassionate look. Most of the new Cabinet members owe her little
personal loyalty, however, and several have parted with her on some issues. Moreover many
observers believe her Cabinet still lacks charisma, dynamism, and political skill
Thatcher has also suffered from several self-inflicted wounds, particularly her muddled
handling of the Westland helicopters affair in early 1986, which prompted many observers
and Tory elders to question her control of the government. Furthermore, the press accused
her of misleading Parliament on Westland; although she was subsequently exonerated, her
integrity was tarnished. Thatcher's decision to focus her second administration's energies on
first-term goals�reducing the government's role in the economy, creating an enterprise
culture to boost job creation, and battling socialism�has left her open to charges that she
may be running out of steam; many Britons also consider Thatcher
overly confrontational and out of touch with popularly held views.
while her position is still secure, she is a diminished force in British politics and that the
upcoming election will in many ways be a referendum on her desirability as a leader
Thatcher responds to her critics by saying that her government's policies have put
Britain on the verge of economic success not witnessed since the 1950s. She points to several
years of low inflation, economic growth, and increased private ownership in stock, homes,
and other areas as proof of her policies' effectiveness. She attributes her government's image
problems to inadequate presentation of those successes. Nonetheless, her government's
failures in dealing with unemployment�now nearly 12 percent�have largely negated
public perceptions of its gains elsewhere. Also, we believe there remains an underlying
dissatisfaction among Tory parliamentarians with Thatcher's priorities and leadership,
(cont.)
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envinced by several instances since 1984 when Tory backbenchers have forced her to reverse
policy direction
Foreign and Defense Policy
Thatcher often acts as her own foreign minister. Well known for her sharp criticism of
the Soviet Union, she has vigorously challenged Moscow's initiatives on a host of security
matters, particularly during the aftermath of the Reykjavik minisummit. At the same time,
however, she has been a leading voice promoting the expansion of dialogue and greater
understanding between East and West and plans to visit Moscow in early 1987. She is a firm
ally of the United States and has publicly stated that Britain cannot defend itself without
this country, which she calls the "final guarantor of Europe's liberty." A great admirer of
President Ronald Reagan, she believes he shares her views on the importance of private
enterprise and the way to meet the Soviet challenge. Thatcher has repeatedly stated her
support for research on SDI. She has also been the most visible West European leader
supporting US policy toward Libya�she defended the April 1986 airstrike against vicious
domestic criticism�and South Africa.
Personal Data
Thatcher, a graduate of Oxford, has degrees in chemistry and law. She has served in
Parliament since 1959. She is widely known as a scathing debater, hard worker, and fast
learner who has little patience for bureaucratic delay. Her poise, charm, and keenly
feminine manner when out of the spotlight, however, contrast sharply with her no-nonsense
public image. Thatcher, 61, is also a devoted wife to her husband, Denis, a retired oil
executive. In October 1984 she narrowly survived an assassination attempt when the
Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a bomb in the hotel where she was staying.
13 November 1986
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