UK from Margaret Thatcher to Brexit
UK governments and major events from 1979 to 2020, including Thatcher’s leadership, Labour reforms, global conflicts, and Brexit.
Conservative Government (1979–1997)
Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister in 1979 and led until 1990.
Her Conservative government changed the economy by privatising national industries and putting legal limits on trade unions.
Deregulation increased the importance of the City of London as a global financial centre for investment, insurance, and banking.
At the same time, traditional industries such as shipbuilding and coal mining declined.
In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory. The UK sent a naval taskforce, and military action recovered the islands.
After Thatcher, John Major became Prime Minister. He helped start the Northern Ireland peace process.
Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013)
Daughter of a grocer from Grantham, Lincolnshire.Trained as a chemist and lawyer.
Elected as a Conservative MP in 1959 and became Secretary of State for Education and Science in 1970.
Became Leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 and then the Leader of the Opposition.
After the 1979 General Election victory, she became the UK’s first woman Prime Minister.
She served until 1990, the longest of any 20th-century PM.
Introduced major economic reforms and worked closely with US President Ronald Reagan.
She welcomed the new Soviet leadership that helped end the Cold War.
Roald Dahl (1916–1990)
Born in Wales to Norwegian parents.Served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Began publishing stories in the 1940s.
Famous for his children’s books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and George’s Marvellous Medicine.
He also wrote for adults, and many of his books were later made into films.
Labour Government (1997–2010)
In 1997, Tony Blair led the Labour Party to victory.
His government created a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly.
The Scottish Parliament gained wide law-making powers, while the Welsh Assembly controlled public services.
In Northern Ireland, Blair’s government supported the peace process, leading to the Good Friday Agreement (1998).
The Northern Ireland Assembly was elected in 1999, suspended in 2002, and restored in 2007.
Most paramilitary groups have since disarmed and ended their violence.
In 2007, Gordon Brown became Prime Minister.
Conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq
During the 1990s, Britain joined international forces in Kuwait (after Iraq’s 1990 invasion) and in the Former Yugoslavia.
Since 2000, the UK has fought global terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq.
British combat troops left Iraq in 2009.
In Afghanistan, the UK worked as part of the UN’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which included 50 nations.
ISAF aimed to stop Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist safe haven, particularly for groups like Al Qa’ida.
It trained the Afghan National Security Forces and created a safe environment for governance and development.
By 2014, Afghans took full responsibility for security in all provinces.
Coalition Government (2010 Onwards) and Brexit
In May 2010, no party won a majority in the General Election.
The Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition, led by David Cameron.
The Conservatives won a majority in the 2015 General Election, and Cameron stayed as Prime Minister.
His government held a referendum on EU membership on 23 June 2016.
The UK voted 51.9% to 48.1% to leave the European Union.
After the referendum, Theresa May became Prime Minister on 13 July 2016, followed by Boris Johnson on 24 July 2019.
The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020.
Key Points
- Margaret Thatcher: First female PM (1979–1990), led major economic reforms, Falklands War.
- John Major: Continued Conservative government; supported Northern Ireland peace process.
- Tony Blair: Labour PM (1997–2007), created devolved parliaments, signed Good Friday Agreement.
- Gordon Brown: PM from 2007.
- UK involvement in conflicts in Kuwait, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
- Coalition government (2010): Cameron (Conservative) and Liberal Democrats.
- Brexit referendum (2016): UK voted to leave the EU.
- Theresa May and Boris Johnson succeeded Cameron; UK left EU in 2020.
- Knowledge cards: Margaret Thatcher and Roald Dahl biographical summaries.