The Times obituary: Baroness Thatcher

 

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  At the Conservative Party Conference in October 1982Nils Jorgensen/Rex
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  Outside 10 Downing Street in May 1979, on becoming Prime Minister: Thatcher had proved to be an adroit and effective campaigner with a keen awareness of public relations and the techniques and requirements of the television age
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  Margaret Thatcher leaving her office in Chesham Place in 1992Times Newspapers Ltd
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  Margaret ThatcherThe Times

 

Indomitable Prime Minister whose unswerving belief in free enterprise transformed the political and social landscape

Margaret Thatcher was one of the greatest British politicians of the 20th century. The first woman prime minister in Europe, she held the job for 11 years. In the 20th century no other prime minister had been in office for such a long unbroken period, and no one since Lord Liverpool (1812-27) had had such a long continuous run as Prime Minister.
She led the Conservative Party for 15 years, won three general elections in succession, and never lost a significant vote in the House of Commons. Since Walpole in effect invented the role, only six men have served for