The Age of Confrontation

Abstract

The formation of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government in May 1979 was followed by a substantial change in taxation policy, and the general thrust of the new administration was as different from Conservative Governments of the ‘consensus’ period as it was from Labour Governments. Margaret Thatcher’s record leaves no doubt that she was deeply disturbed by what she saw as the failure of previous Conservative Governments to reverse the socialistic measures of Labour administrations and was determined to act differently.¹ Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the new Government was its disposition to allow unemployment, already high when it took office, to rise rapidly, evidently regarding this as necessary in order to attain its economic objectives.