Margaret Thatcher

I was a Conservative candidate from Dartford in the 1950 and 1951 elections. Married Denis Thatcher in December 1951 and had twin children, Mark and Carol. Practiced tax law for a time in the 1950s, but was elected to Parliament from Finchley in 1959. Two years later, was appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Pensions. In 1970, was appointed Minister for Education and earned the title 'Thatcher the Milk Snatcher,' for eliminating free milk for schoolchildren in a round of budget-cutting. After the Conservative Party lost both general elections in 1974, defeated Edward Heath for the leadership of the party. Was elected Prime Minister in May 1979 and served for eleven and a half years, longer than any other British Prime Minister in the 20th Century. As Prime Minister, I was staunchly capitalist and bent on wiping socialism from the face of Britain. During my tenure, I cut taxes, spending and regulations, privatized state-industries and state-housing, reformed the education, health and welfare systems, was tough on crime and espoused traditional values. My time in office was eventful, having to contend with an economic recession, inner-city riots and a miners' strike. My first great triumph in office was the Falklands War in 1982, when I sent British troops to reclaim British possessions off the coast of South America that had been invaded and occupied by Argentina. The British won that war and it showed the world that Britain was once again a power to be reckoned with. My time in office saw unprecedented economic prosperity. I was staunch political allies with Ronald Reagan and through our tough foreign and defense policies, brought the Cold War to an end and a victory for the Free World. Since I left office, I was inducted into the House of Lords in 1992 as Baroness of Kesteven.