Introduction

Abstract

The 1980s mark a pivotal decade in British history, heavily laden with cultural as well as political significance, and at the centre is the figure of Margaret Thatcher. Elected in 1979 as the UK’s first (and, so far, only) woman Prime Minister, Thatcher’s personality dominated the political stage during her years in power, and her shadow has fallen over subsequent decades. Her tone of voice, her style of dress, her mannerisms have become fused in the popular imagination with her political views – declared with such emphasis and conviction. Her image has come to stand as a point of reference, a symbol of the decade, bearing the weight of its significance. It has become a ‘cultural marker’ threaded through the programmes; condensing within itself meanings, attitudes and ideas about the period; exciting because of its emotive pull. The ‘Thatcher’ mythology has continued to play a powerful role in facilitating an interplay between culture and politics, intertwining political judgement and cultural expression (Nunn 2002; Campbell 1987).