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Britain’s first female PM, Margaret Thatcher was the resolute ‘Iron Lady’ whose deeply personal mission brought us ‘Thatcherism’

1. She was Britain’s first leading lady

Elected as the MP for Finchley in 1959, Thatcher entered a male dominated world. She was initially taunted by male MPs in parliament, yet the former scientist was undaunted. By 1975 she had risen to the top of the Conservative party and was on course for Number 10. Once in power it was clear that the woman who had previously been jeered at now inspired admiration and political fear in opponents and colleagues in equal measure. From the British public she won three successive election victories – the first Prime Minister to do so in over 160 years.

2. No task was too big for ‘Thatcherism’

While her policies continue to be keenly debated, Thatcher had a strong view of how she believed Britain had declined since the Second World War and she embarked on an ambitious programme of reform. Tackling a spectrum of issues, very few elements of British life were left untouched by her energy, determination and belief in the free market. It’s no accident these policies quickly became known as Thatcherism, so personal was the PM’s mission.

3. The ‘Iron Lady’ was not for turning

As she explained during a speech in 1980, Margaret Thatcher was resolute once she made a decision: “You turn [U-turn] if you want to,” she quipped. “The lady's not for turning.” From defending the Falkland Islands in a war against Argentina in 1982, to embarking on a long, bitter dispute with Britain’s coal mining unions in 1984, Thatcher rarely wavered. No wonder she liked her nickname “The Iron Lady”.