Article by Kwasi Kwarteng
For cricket lovers, 1981 brings back memories of Ian Botham’s incredible performance in the Ashes, most notably in the Headingley Test. Others might remember the celebrations for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in July. In political circles, however, 1981 was a year dominated by tension and strife. Margaret Thatcher sat in the middle of the action.
It’s difficult to remember how surprising it was for the Conservatives to elect a woman leader in 1975. Throughout her period as Leader of the Opposition, Thatcher was mocked as a slightly absurd figure. Newspapers openly commented on her physical appearance. A feature in the Sun on March 16, 1979, is a good example. Thatcher “says she weighs 9 ½ stone. Yet she is feminine enough to apologies, because it sounds heavy. Most women will know that 9½ stone is a jolly good weight for a woman at 53”. Thatcher was described as “5ft 5in tall” and taking “size 14 in dresses”.
Of course, the business of government in 1981 was more serious than Mrs Thatcher’s beauty regime. By March of that year, unemployment was hitting record post-war highs; interest rates were at 13 per cent; inflation was in double digits. Members of Thatcher’s cabinet were openly briefing against her....
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