MARGARET THATCHER

                Margaret Thatcher (Margaret Robins) was born in 1925. Her father had a grocer’s shop but he was also very interested in local politics. Margaret was a good student and won a schoolarship to Oxford to study chemistry. Then she worked as a re­search chemist until she met and married Denis Thatcher, a successful businessman. Then she decided to study law. She was already involved in politics and gave up law when she was elected to the Parliament in 1959. From 1970 to 1974 she was Secretary of State for Education. In 1975 she became leader of the Conservative Party which was the Opposition. In 1979 she beat the Labour Party and took office as Prime Minister, Bri­tain’s first woman Prime Minister.

                 Thatcher privatized publicly-owned industries and made cuts in state education, hospitals and welfare benefits. In ear­ly 1980’s, Britain was facing unemployment, inflation, prob­lems of Northern Ireland. In 1982, Britain became involved in an undeclared war against Argentina in the Falkland Is­lands. After the victory in the Falklands, she had an image of a strong, authoritative leader. In the 1983 election cam­paign, she won with a large majority of votes. In 1987 she won her third term as Prime Minister defeating the Labour Party which suffered from loss of votes due to the newly formed alliance with Liberal.

                  On November 22, 1990, Mrs. Thatcher resigned. The «Iron Lady» who believed it was her destiny to reshape the British nation shed tears as she made the historic announcement.

                    Three men were candidates for the post of Prime Minister. John Major was to win.

QUESTIONS:

1.   When was Margaret Thatcher born?

2.    What did she study at the university?

3.    What were the major steps on her way to the post of Prime Minister?

4.    What policy did Margaret Thatcher conduct?

5.     How long did she stay at the post of Prime Minister?

6.     When did she resign?

VOCABULARY:

scholarship — стипендия

research chemist — химик-исследователь

successful — преуспевающий

to be involved — быть вовлеченным

to give up — бросить

Secretary of State for Education — министр образования

Liberal Party — лейбористская партия

publicly-owned industries — отрасли промышленности, находящиеся в государственной собственности

unemployment — безработица

undeclared war — необъявленная война

vote — голос (на выборах)

term — срок

alliance — союз, блок

Liberal Party — либеральная партия

to resign — подать в отставку

to reshape — изменить

announcement  — заявление