Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography (130 page)

Read Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography Online

Authors: Margaret Thatcher

BOOK: Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography
10.71Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
11 March
Heath formed his Shadow Cabinet, giving MT responsibility for the Environment.
May
Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) founded.
22 June
Keith Joseph’s speech at Upminster.
28 August
MT announced Conservative pledge to abolish domestic rates and hold down mortgage interest rates to maximum of 9½ per cent.
5 September
Keith Joseph’s speech at Preston.
10 October
General election: Labour majority of three.
14 October
1922 Committee executive urged Heath to call a leadership election.
19 October
Keith Joseph’s speech at Edgbaston.
7 November
Heath reshuffled Shadow Cabinet; MT became Robert Carr’s assistant spokesman on Treasury questions.
14 November
Heath told 1922 that he would set up a committee to review leadership election procedure.
21 November
Keith Joseph told MT that he would not stand for the leadership against Heath; MT told him she would.
November
–
December
‘Hoarding’ story run against MT in the press.
17 December
Leadership election review reported.
 
 
1975
 
15 January
Airey Neave took over the organization of MT’s leadership campaign, Edward du Cann having decided not to stand.
4 February
Leadership election first ballot: MT 130, Heath 119, Hugh Fraser 16; Heath resigned as leader.
11 February
Leadership election second ballot: MT elected leader.
12 February
MT called on Heath at Wilton Street; Heath refused to serve in the Shadow Cabinet.
18 February
Shadow Cabinet complete: Maudling, Foreign Affairs; Howe, Treasury; Joseph, Policy and Research; Thorneycroft, Chairman.
5 June
EEC referendum.
July
£6 a week quasi-statutory pay policy introduced; unemployment passed one million.
 
 
1976
 
2 March
Sterling fell below $2.
16 March
Wilson announced his resignation; Callaghan elected Labour Leader on 5 April.
7
April
Government lost its majority.
5 May
Stage 2 of pay policy agreed between Government and TUC.
10 May
Thorpe resigned as Liberal Leader over the Scott affair; Grimond interim Leader; Steel elected on 7 July.
7 June
Sterling under pressure – $5,300 million standby credit made available to UK for three months.
28 September
Healey forced to turn back from the airport as sterling fell to $1.63; spoke at the Labour Conference on 30 September.
4 October
The Right Approach
published.
1 November
IMF team arrived in UK.
19 November
MT reshuffled Shadow Cabinet, dismissing Maudling and replacing him with John Davies.
1 December
Shadow Cabinet decision to oppose the Scotland and Wales Bill; Buchanan-Smith and Rifkind resigned.
15 December
Healey’s mini-budget and IMF Letter of Intent 1977.
 
 
1977
 
22 February
Government defeated on Scotland and Wales Bill guillotine – Bill effectively lost; prospect that Government would fall.
23 March
‘Lib-Lab Pact’ saved the Government.
16 June
Government defeated over Rooker-Wise-Lawson amendments – tax allowances linked to RPI.
24 June
Grunwick dispute: mass picketing began.
18 September
MT interviewed by Brian Walden suggested referendum if a future Conservative Government met the kind of trade union challenge Heath faced in 1974.
8 October
The Right Approach to the Economy
published.
16 October
Scotland Bill and Wales Bill successfully guillotined.
 
 
1978
 
25 January
Scotland Bill Committee – ‘Cunningham amendment’: 40 per cent hurdle for devolution in referendum.
30 January
MT on television referred to people’s fears that they would be ‘rather swamped’ by immigration.
3 March
Rhodesia: ‘internal settlement’ – Muzorewa and others to join Ian Smith’s Government.
25 May
Steel announced end of Lib-Lab Pact after current parliamentary session.
21 July
Incomes policy White Paper: Stage 3 – 5 per cent guideline for wage increases.
Summer
‘Labour Isn’t Working’ – Saatchi & Saatchi’s first campaign for the Conservative Party.
7 September
Callaghan announced there would be no autumn election.
21 September
Ford strike (ended 2 November): breached 5 per cent pay norm.
11 October
Heath spoke in favour of Stage 3 at the Conservative Party Conference.
8 November
114 Conservatives rebelled against leadership decision to abstain on motion to renew Rhodesian sanctions.
 
 
1979
 
3 January
Lorry drivers strike for 25 per cent pay claim: ‘Winter of Discontent’ reaching its height.
7 January
MT interviewed on
Weekend World;
suggested possible union reforms.
14 January
MT offered to co-operate in legislation on secondary picketing and no-strike agreements for essential services; Government made no direct reply but eased its pay guidelines and lorry drivers’ strike settled locally over the following three weeks.
1 March
Scotland and Wales devolution referenda.
28 March
Government defeated on Motion of Confidence 311–310, forcing general election.
30 March
Airey Neave murdered by INLA bomb.
3 May
General election: Conservative majority of forty-three.
4 May
MT became Prime Minister.
7 June
European elections.
12 June
1979 budget. Standard rate of income tax cut to 30 per cent, top rate to 60 per cent.
28 June
Tokyo G7 summit.
1–8 August
Lusaka CHOGM.
27 August
Assassination of Lord Mountbatten/Warrenpoint bomb.
23 October
Geoffrey Howe announced abolition of remaining exchange controls.
29–30 November
Dublin European Council: budget arguments.
16 December
MT and Lord Carrington arrived in Washington for two-day visit.
25 December
Afghanistan: USSR began invasion.
 
 
1980
 
2 January
Steel strike began. Ended 3 April.
5 May
SAS stormed Iranian Embassy.
2 June
Cabinet endorsed EC budget agreement.
22 June
Venice G7 summit.
22 September
Iran-Iraq War began.
10 October
MT addressed Conservative Conference, Brighton: ‘The lady’s not for turning.’
27 October
First Maze hunger strike began. Ended 18 December.
4 November
USA: Ronald Reagan elected President.
8 December
Anglo-Irish summit in Dublin.
 
 
1981
 
5 January
Norman St John Stevas and Angus Maude left the Government. Francis Pym became Leader of House of Commons, John Nott to Defence, Leon Brittan joined Cabinet as Chief Secretary.
10 February
NCB announced pit closures. Government announced NCB plan withdrawn on 18 February.
1 March
Second IRA hunger strike begun by Bobby Sands. Ended 3 October after ten deaths; then Chelsea Barracks bomb.
10 March
1981 budget.
26 March
SDP formed. Alliance formed on 16 June.
30 March
364 economists’ letter criticizing economic policy.
11–14 April
Brixton riots.
10 May
François Mitterrand elected French President.
3 July
Southall riot. Toxteth and Moss Side riots 4–8 July.
20 July
Ottawa G7 summit opened.
23 July
Argument at public spending cabinet.
14 September
Reshuffle: Ian Gilmour, Mark Carlisle and Lord Soames left the Government. Nigel Lawson, Norman Tebbit and Cecil Parkinson joined the Cabinet. Jim Prior appointed to Northern Ireland.
30 September
Melbourne CHOGM opened.
13 December
Poland: Martial law declared.
 
 
1982
 
25 March
Roy Jenkins won Glasgow, Hillhead by-election.
2 April
Argentina invaded Falkland Islands.
3 April
Saturday Commons debate on Falklands. Passage of UNSCR 502.
5 April
First naval units left Portsmouth. Lord Carrington and other Foreign Office ministers resigned. Francis Pym became Foreign Secretary, John Biffen Leader HC.
25 April
South Georgia recaptured.
2 May
General Belgrano
sunk by HMS
Conqueror.
4 May
HMS
Sheffield
hit by an Exocet.
21 May
British troops landed at San Carlos.
5 June
Versailles G7 summit opened.
14 June
Capture of Port Stanley. Argentinian surrender.
20 July
Hyde Park, then Regent’s Park bombs.
26 July
St Paul’s Thanksgiving Service.
17 September
West Germany: fall of Helmut Schmidt’s Government.
 
Helmut Kohl succeeded him as Chancellor.
20 September
MT began visit to Japan/China/Hong Kong.
 
 
1983
 
6 January
Reshuffle: John Nott resigned. Michael Heseltine to Defence; Tom King to Environment.
23 March
USA: President Reagan announced SDI.
28 May
Williamsburg G7 summit opened.
9 June
General election: Conservative majority of 144.
11 June
New Government formed: Nigel Lawson Chancellor; Leon Brittan Home Secretary; Geoffrey Howe Foreign Secretary; Francis Pym dropped.
14 October
Cecil Parkinson resigned.
25 October
US invasion of Grenada.
14 November
Cruise missiles arrived at Greenham.
December
Athens European Council.
17 December
Harrods bomb.
 
 
1984
 
9 February
USSR: death of Andropov. MT attended funeral.
8 March
Miners’ strike began.
2 June
Fontainebleau European Council: budget settlement.
10 July
National dock strike (ended 20 July).
24 August
Second national dock strike (ended 18 September).
12 October
Brighton bomb.
25 October
High Court ordered sequestration of NUM.
31 October
India: Mrs Gandhi assassinated.
6 November
USA: President Reagan re-elected.
20 November
British Telecom flotation.

Other books

Origin of the Body by H.R. Moore
The Nationalist by Campbell Hart
The Shaft by David J. Schow
Deep France by Celia Brayfield
The Melanie Chronicles by Golden, Kim
Buffalo Bill Wanted! by Alex Simmons