MARGARET ROBERTS THATCHER - UNITED KINGDOM

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05548887
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 16, 2022
• Document Release Date: January 11, 2016
• Case Number: F-2014-01469
• Publication Date: May 6, 1980

Approved for Release: 2014/10/24 005548887
Margaret Roberts THATCHER
Prime Minister (since May
1979)
Addressed as:
Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher,
leader of the Conserva-
tive Party since 1975, is
the first woman ever to
serve as British prime
minister. During her
first year in that office
she has fulfilled her
promise of "a new direc-
tion for Britain" through
her decisive actions both at home and abroad. Her
ultimate goal is the restoration of Britain to the
first rank of nations. Although Thatcher has not
achieved this lofty aim, her bold policies have
earned her the respect and admiration of political
supporters and opponents alike.
UNITED KINGDOM
Thatcher's stern economic measures have in-
cluded substantial reductions in personal income
taxes, preparation for the sale of some of Britain's
nationalized industries, reform of the trade unions,
and a pruning of the bureaucracy. Inflation and
unemployment have continued to rise, but the Prime
Minister has urged patience, believing that in a
year or two her tough policies should show some
positive effects.
Foreign Policy
Thatcher was relatively inexperienced in for-
eign relations when she took office, but she quickly
surrounded herself with experienced advisers. As-
sisted by her highly regarded Foreign Secretary,
Lord Carrington, she has undertaken diplomatic
initiatives on several important international
issues. Thatcher's support for the constitutional
conference on Zimbabwe-Rhodesia held in London in
late 1979 culminated in the largely peaceful trans-
fer to majority rule in the �former colony and in the
establishment of independent Zimbabwe in April 1980;
the successful outcome in that African nation is
widely viewed as the foreign policy triumph of
(cont.)
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Thatcher's first year in office. A strong advocate
of NATO, the Prime Minister has urged West European
nations to modernize their defense forces in order
to match Soviet military strength. Under her lead-
ership Britain has been the strongest supporter
among America's European allies of President Jimmy
Carter's call for an Olympic boycott in response to
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and of his ef-
forts to obtain the release of the American hostages
in Iran.
Career and Personal Data
After graduating from Oxford with honors in
chemistry, Margaret Roberts studied law, special-
izing in tax legislation and patents. A member of
Parliament since 1959, she has served as joint par-
liamentary secretary to the Ministry of Pensions and
National Insurance (1961-64), as Secretary of State
for Education and Science (1970-74), and as s
deputy chancellor of the exchequer (1974-75).
Well organized, Thatcher works hard to master
the details of complex issues. She expresses ideas
clearly and logically. No recent British leader has
had her powers of concentration, capacity for hard
work, and self-confidence. In dealing with the news
media she tends to be crisp and somewhat patron-
izing; with colleagues she is honest and straight-
forward.
Thatcher enjoys listening to classical music
and reading detective stories, historical novels and
biographies. She does not smoke. The Prime Minis-
ter, 54, has been married since 1951 to Denis
Thatcher, who retired as executive director of the
Burmah Oil Company in May 1975. The Thatchers have
twins, Mark and Carol, who are in their mid-
twenties.
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6 May 1980
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