First Thatcher ministry: Difference between revisions
AukusRuckus (talk | contribs) Disambiguation Minister for Consumer Affairs→Minister of State for Consumer Affairs. Secretary of State for Health and Social Security does not equal Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to which it was piped; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department with pipe label "Minister of State for Home Affairs" → Minister of State for Home Affairs, +similar link changes. Rephrased Falklands War par to rmv contradictions to its article; format |
I've added an image with Thatcher's cabinet like most other UK cabinet and shadow cabinet articles |
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{{Short description|Government of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1983}} |
{{Short description|Government of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1983}} |
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{{About|the people in Margaret Thatcher's first government|the events of Thatcher's first term as prime minister|Premiership of Margaret Thatcher#First term (May 1979 – June 1983)}} |
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{{main|List of ministers under Margaret Thatcher}} |
{{main|List of ministers under Margaret Thatcher}} |
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{{more refs|date=June 2017}} |
{{more refs|date=June 2017}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} |
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{{Infobox government cabinet |
{{Infobox government cabinet |
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|incumbent = [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]–[[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]] |
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|incumbent = 1979–1983 |
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|image = |
|image = Reagan-Thatcher cabinet talks.jpg |
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|caption = Thatcher in 1981 |
|caption = Thatcher with members of her cabinet (left) during talks with [[Ronald Reagan]] and members of his cabinet (right) in 1981 |
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|date_formed = {{Start date|1979|5|4|df=y}} |
|date_formed = {{Start date|1979|5|4|df=y}} |
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|date_dissolved = {{End date|1983|6|10|df=y}} |
|date_dissolved = {{End date|1983|6|10|df=y}} |
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|government_head_title = Prime Minister |
|government_head_title = Prime Minister |
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|government_head = [[Margaret Thatcher]] |
|government_head = [[Margaret Thatcher]] |
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|government_head_history = [[Premiership of Margaret Thatcher |
|government_head_history = ''[[Premiership of Margaret Thatcher]]'' |
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|deputy_government_head = {{refn|[[ |
|deputy_government_head = {{refn|[[William Whitelaw]] did not officially hold the title of [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] {{harv|Hennessy|2001|page=405}}. He only served as [[Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party]].|group=note}} |
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|state_head_title = Monarch |
|state_head_title = Monarch |
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|state_head = [[Elizabeth II]] |
|state_head = [[Elizabeth II]] |
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|election = [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]] |
|election = [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]] |
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|budget = {{unbulleted list |
|budget = {{unbulleted list |
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| 1979 budget |
| [[June 1979 United Kingdom budget|June 1979 budget]] |
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| 1980 budget |
| [[1980 United Kingdom budget|1980 budget]] |
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| [[1981 United Kingdom budget|1981 budget]] |
| [[1981 United Kingdom budget|1981 budget]] |
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| 1982 budget |
| [[1982 United Kingdom budget|1982 budget]] |
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| 1983 budget |
| [[1983 United Kingdom budget|1983 budget]] |
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}} |
}} |
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|last_election = [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]] |
|last_election = [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]] |
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|previous = [[Callaghan ministry]]<!--this is an {{R to section}} link--> |
|previous = [[Callaghan ministry]]<!--this is an {{R to section}} link--> |
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|successor = [[Second Thatcher ministry]] |
|successor = [[Second Thatcher ministry]] |
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|flag=Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (St Edwards Crown).svg |
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|flag=File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1-2).svg|jurisdiction=United Kingdom}} |
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|jurisdiction=United Kingdom}} |
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[[Margaret Thatcher]] was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990, during which time she led a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[majority government]]. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to [[Economic liberalisation|liberalise]] the [[ |
[[Margaret Thatcher]] was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990, during which time she led a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[majority government]]. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to [[Economic liberalisation|liberalise]] the [[British economy]] through [[deregulation]], [[privatisation]], and the promotion of [[entrepreneurialism]]. |
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This article details the '''first Thatcher ministry''' which she led at the invitation of [[ |
This article details the '''first Thatcher ministry''' which she led at the invitation of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] from 1979 to 1983. |
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==Formation== |
==Formation== |
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{{See also|Premiership of Margaret Thatcher#First term ( |
{{See also|Premiership of Margaret Thatcher#First term (May 1979 – June 1983)}} |
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Following the [[1979 vote of no confidence in the Callaghan ministry|vote of no confidence]] against the Labour government and prime minister [[James Callaghan]] on 28 March 1979, a general election was called for 3 May 1979. The [[Winter of Discontent]] had seen the Labour government's popularity slump during the previous four months, and the opinion polls all pointed towards a Conservative victory. |
Following the [[1979 vote of no confidence in the Callaghan ministry|vote of no confidence]] against the Labour government and prime minister [[James Callaghan]] on 28 March 1979, a general election was called for 3 May 1979. The [[Winter of Discontent]] had seen the Labour government's popularity slump during the previous four months, and the opinion polls all pointed towards a Conservative victory. |
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The Conservatives won the election with a majority of |
The Conservatives won the election with a majority of 43 seats and their leader [[Margaret Thatcher]] became the United Kingdom's first female prime minister. |
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Thatcher inherited some of the worst economic statistics of postwar Britain. The nation was still feeling the effects of the numerous strikes during the recent [[Winter of Discontent]]. Inflation had recently topped twenty per cent, and unemployment was in excess of 1.5 million for the first time since the 1930s. |
Thatcher inherited some of the worst economic statistics of postwar Britain. The nation was still feeling the effects of the numerous strikes during the recent [[Winter of Discontent]]. Inflation had recently topped twenty per cent, and unemployment was in excess of 1.5 million for the first time since the 1930s. |
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The Labour opposition, which changed leader from [[James Callaghan]] to [[Michael Foot]] in 1980, was in no position to exploit the situation and mount a threat to the Conservative government's power. The change of leader saw the party shift dramatically to the left, and in 1981 a host of disenchanted Labour MPs formed the breakaway [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]]. The new party swiftly [[SDP–Liberal Alliance|formed an alliance]] with the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]] with a view to forming a [[coalition]] government at the next election. [[Roy Jenkins]], leader of the SDP, worked in conjunction with Liberal leader [[David Steel]] with the goal of forming a coalition government at the next general election. For a while, opinion polls suggested that this could happen, with support for the Alliance peaking at 50 per cent in late 1981, with both the Tories and Labour faring dismally. |
The Labour opposition, which changed leader from [[James Callaghan]] to [[Michael Foot]] in 1980, was in no position to exploit the situation and mount a threat to the Conservative government's power. The change of leader saw the party shift dramatically to the left, and in 1981 a host of disenchanted Labour MPs formed the breakaway [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]]. The new party swiftly [[SDP–Liberal Alliance|formed an alliance]] with the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]] with a view to forming a [[coalition]] government at the next election. [[Roy Jenkins]], leader of the SDP, worked in conjunction with Liberal leader [[David Steel]] with the goal of forming a coalition government at the next general election. For a while, opinion polls suggested that this could happen, with support for the Alliance peaking at 50 per cent in late 1981, with both the Tories and Labour faring dismally. |
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However, when the [[Falkland Islands]] (a [[ |
However, when the [[Falkland Islands]] (a [[British dependent territory]] in the [[South Atlantic]]) were seized by [[Argentina|Argentine]] forces in March 1982, Thatcher was swift to mount a military response. The subsequent ten-week [[Falklands War]] concluded with a British victory on 14 June when the Argentines surrendered. The success of this military campaign saw a rapid turnaround in voter sentiment, with the Tory government firmly in the lead in all major opinion polls by the summer of 1982. A Conservative victory at the next election appeared inevitable, although it appeared far from clear whether it would be Labour or the Alliance who formed the next opposition. |
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==Fate== |
==Fate== |
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<section begin="May 1979 to September 1981" /> |
<section begin="May 1979 to September 1981" /> |
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*'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]''' – [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] |
*'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]''' – [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[William Whitelaw]]''' – [[Home Secretary]] and [[Deputy Prime Minister]] |
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*'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Lords]] and [[Lord President of the Council]] |
*'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Lords]] and [[Lord President of the Council]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[The Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone]]''' – [[Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain]] |
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*'''Sir [[Geoffrey Howe]]''' – [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] |
*'''Sir [[Geoffrey Howe]]''' – [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[The Lord Carrington]]''' – [[Foreign Secretary]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[Ian Gilmour]]''' – [[Lord Privy Seal|Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal]] |
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*'''[[John Biffen]]''' – [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]] |
*'''[[John Biffen]]''' – [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]] |
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*'''[[Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester|Peter Walker]]''' – [[Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] |
*'''[[Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester|Peter Walker]]''' – [[Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] |
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*'''[[Francis Pym]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Defence]] |
*'''[[Francis Pym]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Defence]] |
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*'''[[Mark Carlisle]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Education]] |
*'''[[Mark Carlisle]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Education]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[James Prior]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Employment]] |
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*'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Energy]] |
*'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Energy]] |
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*'''[[Michael Heseltine]]''' – [[Secretary of State for the Environment]] |
*'''[[Michael Heseltine]]''' – [[Secretary of State for the Environment]] |
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*'''[[Patrick Jenkin]]''' – [[Secretary of State for |
*'''[[Patrick Jenkin]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Social Services]] |
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*'''[[Keith Joseph]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Industry]] |
*'''[[Keith Joseph]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Industry]] |
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*'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] |
*'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] |
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*'''[[Angus Maude]]''' – [[Paymaster General]] |
*'''[[Angus Maude]]''' – [[Paymaster General]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[George Younger]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Scotland]] |
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*'''[[John Nott]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Trade]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]] |
*'''[[John Nott]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Trade]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[Nicholas Edwards]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Wales]] |
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====Changes==== |
====Changes==== |
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**[[Leon Brittan]] succeeded [[John Biffen]] as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. |
**[[Leon Brittan]] succeeded [[John Biffen]] as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. |
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**[[Norman St John-Stevas]] resigned as Minister for the Arts. His successor was not in the Cabinet. |
**[[Norman St John-Stevas]] resigned as Minister for the Arts. His successor was not in the Cabinet. |
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**the post of Secretary of State for Transport was brought into the Cabinet and [[ |
**the post of Secretary of State for Transport was brought into the Cabinet and [[Norman Fowler]] was given the post.<section end="May 1979 to September 1981" /> |
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===September 1981 to June 1983=== |
===September 1981 to June 1983=== |
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In September 1981, a substantial reshuffle took place. |
In September 1981, a substantial reshuffle took place. |
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*'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]''' – [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] |
*'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]''' – [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[William Whitelaw]]''' – [[Home Secretary]] and [[Deputy Prime Minister]] |
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*'''[[Francis Pym]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Commons]] and [[Lord President of the Council]] |
*'''[[Francis Pym]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Commons]] and [[Lord President of the Council]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[The Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone]]''' – [[Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain]] |
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*'''Sir [[Geoffrey Howe]]''' – [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] |
*'''Sir [[Geoffrey Howe]]''' – [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[The Lord Carrington]]''' – [[Foreign Secretary]] |
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*'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]''' – [[Lord Privy Seal|Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal]] |
*'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]''' – [[Lord Privy Seal|Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal]] |
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*'''[[Leon Brittan]]''' – [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]] |
*'''[[Leon Brittan]]''' – [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]] |
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*'''[[Nigel Lawson]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Energy]] |
*'''[[Nigel Lawson]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Energy]] |
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*'''[[Michael Heseltine]]''' – [[Secretary of State for the Environment]] |
*'''[[Michael Heseltine]]''' – [[Secretary of State for the Environment]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[Norman Fowler]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Social Services]] |
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*'''[[Patrick Jenkin]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Industry]] |
*'''[[Patrick Jenkin]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Industry]] |
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*'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Lords]] and [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] |
*'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]''' – [[Leader of the House of Lords]] and [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[James Prior]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] |
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*'''[[Cecil Parkinson]]''' – [[Paymaster General]] |
*'''[[Cecil Parkinson]]''' – [[Paymaster General]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[George Younger]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Scotland]] |
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*'''[[John Biffen]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Trade]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]] |
*'''[[John Biffen]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Trade]] and [[President of the Board of Trade]] |
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*'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Transport]] |
*'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Transport]] |
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*'''[[ |
*'''[[Nicholas Edwards]]''' – [[Secretary of State for Wales]] |
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====Changes==== |
====Changes==== |
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*April 1982{{snd}} |
*April 1982{{snd}} |
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**[[Francis Pym]] succeeded [[ |
**[[Francis Pym]] succeeded [[Lord Carrington]] as Foreign Secretary. [[John Biffen]] succeeded Pym as Lord President of the Council. |
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**[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|Baroness Young]] succeeded [[Humphrey Atkins]] as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. [[Cecil Parkinson]] succeeded Young as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. |
**[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|Baroness Young]] succeeded [[Humphrey Atkins]] as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. [[Cecil Parkinson]] succeeded Young as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. |
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**[[ |
**[[Lord Cockfield]] succeeded [[John Biffen]] as Secretary of State for Trade. |
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*January 1983{{snd}}[[Michael Heseltine]] succeeded [[John Nott]] as Secretary of State for Defence. [[Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater|Tom King]] succeeded Heseltine as Secretary of State for the Environment.<section end="September 1981 to June 1983" /> |
*January 1983{{snd}}[[Michael Heseltine]] succeeded [[John Nott]] as Secretary of State for Defence. [[Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater|Tom King]] succeeded Heseltine as Secretary of State for the Environment.<section end="September 1981 to June 1983" /> |
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|{{ubl|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] | [[First Lord of the Treasury]] | [[Minister for the Civil Service]]}}||'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]'''||4 May 1979|| |
|{{ubl|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] | [[First Lord of the Treasury]] | [[Minister for the Civil Service]]}}||'''[[Margaret Thatcher]]'''||4 May 1979|| |
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|[[Deputy Prime Minister]]||'''[[ |
|[[Deputy Prime Minister]]||'''[[Viscount Whitelaw]]'''||4 May 1979||also [[Home Secretary]] |
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|rowspan=2|[[Minister for the Civil Service|Minister of State for the Civil Service Department]]||[[Paul Channon]]||7 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister for the Civil Service|Minister of State for the Civil Service Department]]||[[Paul Channon]]||7 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[ |
|[[Barney Hayhoe]]||5 January 1981 – 12 November 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain]]||'''[[ |
|[[Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain]]||'''[[The Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
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|- |
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|rowspan=3|[[Leader of the House of Commons]]||'''[[Norman St John Stevas]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] |
|rowspan=3|[[Leader of the House of Commons]]||'''[[Norman St John Stevas]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''[[Francis Pym]]'''||6 January 1981||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] January |
|'''[[Francis Pym]]'''||6 January 1981||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] January – September 1981, [[Lord President of the Council]] from September 1981 – April 1982 |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''[[John Biffen]]'''||5 April 1982||also [[Lord President of the Council]] |
|'''[[John Biffen]]'''||5 April 1982||also [[Lord President of the Council]] |
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|rowspan=2|[[Leader of the House of Lords]]||'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Lord President of the Council]] |
|rowspan=2|[[Leader of the House of Lords]]||'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Lord President of the Council]] |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]'''||14 September 1981||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] from September 1981 |
|'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]'''||14 September 1981||also [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] from September 1981 – April 1982, [[Lord Privy Seal]] from April 1982 |
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|- |
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|rowspan=3|[[Lord President of the Council]]||'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Leader of the House of Lords]] |
|rowspan=3|[[Lord President of the Council]]||'''[[Christopher Soames|The Lord Soames]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Leader of the House of Lords]] |
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|'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]'''||6 April 1982||also [[Leader of the House of Lords]] |
|'''[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]'''||6 April 1982||also [[Leader of the House of Lords]] |
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|- |
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|[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]||'''[[ |
|[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]||'''[[Sir Geoffrey Howe]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
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|- |
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|rowspan=2|[[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]||'''[[John Biffen]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]||'''[[John Biffen]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
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|[[Jock Bruce-Gardyne]]||15 September 1981 – 11 November 1981|| |
|[[Jock Bruce-Gardyne]]||15 September 1981 – 11 November 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[ |
|[[Barney Hayhoe]]||11 November 1981 || |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[John Wakeham]]||6 April 1982|| |
|[[John Wakeham]]||6 April 1982|| |
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|[[Peter Morrison|Hon. Peter Morrison]]||7 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
|[[Peter Morrison|Hon. Peter Morrison]]||7 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[ |
|[[Lord James Douglas-Hamilton]]||7 May 1979 – 1 October 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[Carol Mather]]||7 May 1979 – 1 October 1981|| |
|[[Carol Mather]]||7 May 1979 – 1 October 1981|| |
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|rowspan=15|Assistant [[Whip (politics)|Whip]]s || [[Robert Boscawen|Hon. Robert Boscawen]] ||May 1979 -January 1981|| |
|rowspan=15|Assistant [[Whip (politics)|Whip]]s || [[Robert Boscawen|Hon. Robert Boscawen]] ||May 1979 -January 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley|John Cope]]||May 1979 |
|[[John Cope, Baron Cope of Berkeley|John Cope]]||May 1979 – January 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[Tony Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree|Tony Newton]]||May 1979 |
|[[Tony Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree|Tony Newton]]||May 1979 – September 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[John Wakeham]]||May 1979 |
|[[John Wakeham]]||May 1979 – January 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville|Hon. Peter Brooke]]||May 1979 |
|[[Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville|Hon. Peter Brooke]]||May 1979 – September 1981|| |
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|- |
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|[[John Gummer]]||January 1981 |
|[[John Gummer]]||January 1981 – September 1981|| |
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|[[Alastair Goodlad]]||January 1981 |
|[[Alastair Goodlad]]||January 1981 – February 1982|| |
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|[[Donald Thompson (politician)|Donald Thompson]]||January 1981 |
|[[Donald Thompson (politician)|Donald Thompson]]||January 1981 – January 1983|| |
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|[[Nicholas Budgen]]||September 1981 |
|[[Nicholas Budgen]]||September 1981 – May 1982|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[David Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral|David Hunt]]||September 1981 |
|[[David Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral|David Hunt]]||September 1981 – February 1983|| |
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|[[Ian Lang]]||September 1981 |
|[[Ian Lang]]||September 1981 – June 1983|| |
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|[[Tristan Garel-Jones]]||March 1982 |
|[[Tristan Garel-Jones]]||March 1982 – June 1983|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Archie Hamilton|Hon. Archie Hamilton]]||May 1982 |
|[[Archie Hamilton|Hon. Archie Hamilton]]||May 1982 – October 1984|| |
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|[[John Major]]||January 1983 |
|[[John Major]]||January 1983 – June 1983|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Douglas Hogg]]||February 1983 |
|[[Douglas Hogg]]||February 1983 – June 1983|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|rowspan=2|[[Foreign Secretary]]||'''[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Foreign Secretary]]||'''[[The Lord Carrington]]'''|| 5 May 1979|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|'''[[Francis Pym]]'''||5 April 1982|| |
|'''[[Francis Pym]]'''||5 April 1982|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|rowspan=7|[[Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]]||[[ |
|rowspan=7|[[Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]]||[[Peter Blaker]]||5 May 1979 – 29 May 1981|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale|Hon. Nicholas Ridley]]||6 May 1979 – 29 September 1981|| |
|[[Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale|Hon. Nicholas Ridley]]||6 May 1979 – 29 September 1981|| |
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|[[Cranley Onslow]]||5 April 1982 – 13 June 1983|| |
|[[Cranley Onslow]]||5 April 1982 – 13 June 1983|| |
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|- |
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|[[ |
|[[The Lord Belstead]]||5 April 1982 – 13 June 1983|| |
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|- |
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|[[Timothy Raison]]||6 January 1983 ||also [[Minister of Overseas Development]] |
|[[Timothy Raison]]||6 January 1983 ||also [[Minister of Overseas Development]] |
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|[[Timothy Raison]]||6 January 1983|| |
|[[Timothy Raison]]||6 January 1983|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Home Secretary]]||'''[[ |
|[[Home Secretary]]||'''[[William Whitelaw]]'''||5 May 1979||also [[Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party]] |
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|- |
|- |
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|rowspan=4|[[Minister of State for Home Affairs (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Home Affairs]]||[[Leon Brittan]]||6 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
|rowspan=4|[[Minister of State for Home Affairs (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Home Affairs]]||[[Leon Brittan]]||6 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
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|[[David Waddington]]||6 January 1983 ||[[Minister of State for Immigration]] |
|[[David Waddington]]||6 January 1983 ||[[Minister of State for Immigration]] |
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|rowspan=3|[[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs]]||[[ |
|rowspan=3|[[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs]]||[[The Lord Belstead]]||7 May 1979 – 6 April 1982|| |
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|- |
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|[[Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton|The Lord Elton]]||6 April 1982 – 13 June 1983|| |
|[[Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton|The Lord Elton]]||6 April 1982 – 13 June 1983|| |
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Line 336: | Line 339: | ||
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State for Defence]]||[[Euan Howard, 4th Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal|The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal]]||6 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State for Defence]]||[[Euan Howard, 4th Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal|The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal]]||6 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard|The Viscount Trenchard]]||5 January 1981 – 29 May 1981||Office abolished 29 May 1981; Trenchard appointed [[ |
|[[Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard|The Viscount Trenchard]]||5 January 1981 – 29 May 1981||Office abolished 29 May 1981; Trenchard appointed [[Minister of State for Defence Procurement]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]]||[[Peter Blaker]]||29 May 1981|| |
|[[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]]||[[Peter Blaker]]||29 May 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State for Defence Procurement]]||[[Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard|The Viscount Trenchard]]||29 May 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Geoffrey Pattie]]||6 January 1983|| |
|[[Geoffrey Pattie]]||6 January 1983|| |
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Line 350: | Line 353: | ||
|[[Minister of State for the Armed Forces|Under-Secretary of State for the Navy]]||[[Keith Speed]]||6 May 1979 – 18 May 1981||Office abolished 29 May 1981 |
|[[Minister of State for the Armed Forces|Under-Secretary of State for the Navy]]||[[Keith Speed]]||6 May 1979 – 18 May 1981||Office abolished 29 May 1981 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[ |
|[[Under-Secretary of State for the Air Force]]||[[Geoffrey Pattie]]||6 May 1979 – 29 May 1981||Office abolished 29 May 1981; Pattie appointed [[Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces]]||[[Philip Goodhart]]||29 May 1981 – 30 September 1981|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces]]||[[Philip Goodhart]]||29 May 1981 – 30 September 1981|| |
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Line 362: | Line 365: | ||
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Education]]||'''[[Mark Carlisle]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Education]]||'''[[Mark Carlisle]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|'''[[ |
|'''[[Sir Keith Joseph]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
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|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State, Education and Science]]||[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]||7 May 1979 – 14 September 1981|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State, Education and Science]]||[[Janet Young, Baroness Young|The Baroness Young]]||7 May 1979 – 14 September 1981|| |
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Line 376: | Line 379: | ||
|[[William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill|Hon. William Waldegrave]]||15 September 1981 – 13 June 1983|| |
|[[William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill|Hon. William Waldegrave]]||15 September 1981 – 13 June 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Employment]]||'''[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Employment]]||'''[[James Prior]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|'''[[Norman Tebbit]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
|'''[[Norman Tebbit]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
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Line 398: | Line 401: | ||
|'''[[Nigel Lawson]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
|'''[[Nigel Lawson]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
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|- |
|- |
||
|[[Minister of State, Energy]]||[[ |
|[[Minister of State, Energy]]||[[Hamish Gray]]||7 May 1979 – 13 June 1983|| |
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|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=4|[[Under-Secretary of State, Energy]]||[[Norman Lamont]]||7 May 1979 – 5 September 1981|| |
|rowspan=4|[[Under-Secretary of State, Energy]]||[[Norman Lamont]]||7 May 1979 – 5 September 1981|| |
||
Line 432: | Line 435: | ||
|[[George Young, Baron Young of Cookham|Sir George Young, Bt]]||15 September 1981 || |
|[[George Young, Baron Young of Cookham|Sir George Young, Bt]]||15 September 1981 || |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for |
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Social Services]]||'''[[Patrick Jenkin]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|'''[[ |
|'''[[Norman Fowler]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
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|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State, Health]]||[[Gerard Vaughan (British politician)|Gerard Vaughan]]||7 May 1979|| |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Kenneth Clarke]]||5 March 1982|| |
|[[Kenneth Clarke]]||5 March 1982|| |
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Line 452: | Line 455: | ||
|[[David Trefgarne, 2nd Baron Trefgarne|The Lord Trefgarne]]||6 April 1982 – 14 June 1983|| |
|[[David Trefgarne, 2nd Baron Trefgarne|The Lord Trefgarne]]||6 April 1982 – 14 June 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State for Social Security]]||[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Minister of State for Social Security]]||[[Reginald Prentice]]||7 May 1979 – 5 January 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Hugh Rossi]]||5 January 1981 – 12 June 1983|| |
|[[Hugh Rossi]]||5 January 1981 – 12 June 1983|| |
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Line 490: | Line 493: | ||
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]||'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]||'''[[Humphrey Atkins]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|'''[[ |
|'''[[James Prior]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=4|[[Minister of State, Northern Ireland]]||[[Michael Alison]]||7 May 1979 – 15 September 1981|| |
|rowspan=4|[[Minister of State, Northern Ireland]]||[[Michael Alison]]||7 May 1979 – 15 September 1981|| |
||
Line 554: | Line 557: | ||
|[[Iain Sproat]]||15 September 1981 – 12 June 1983 |
|[[Iain Sproat]]||15 September 1981 – 12 June 1983 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Secretary of State for Transport#Minister of Transport (1979–1981)|Minister of Transport]]||[[ |
|[[Secretary of State for Transport#Minister of Transport (1979–1981)|Minister of Transport]]||[[Norman Fowler]]||11 May 1979 – 5 January 1981||became [[Secretary of State for Transport]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Transport]]||'''[[ |
|rowspan=2|[[Secretary of State for Transport]]||'''[[Norman Fowler]]'''||5 January 1981|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
|'''[[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford|David Howell]]'''||14 September 1981|| |
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Line 568: | Line 571: | ||
|[[Reginald Eyre]]||5 March 1982 – 11 June 1983|| |
|[[Reginald Eyre]]||5 March 1982 – 11 June 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Secretary of State for Wales]]||'''[[ |
|[[Secretary of State for Wales]]||'''[[Nicholas Edwards]]'''||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Minister of State for Wales]]||[[John Stradling Thomas]]||17 February 1983 – June 1983|| |
|[[Minister of State for Wales]]||[[John Stradling Thomas]]||17 February 1983 – June 1983|| |
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Line 574: | Line 577: | ||
|rowspan=2|[[Under-Secretary of State for Wales]]||[[Michael Roberts (politician)|Michael Roberts]]||7 May 1979 – 10 February 1983|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Under-Secretary of State for Wales]]||[[Michael Roberts (politician)|Michael Roberts]]||7 May 1979 – 10 February 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[ |
|[[Wyn Roberts]]||7 May 1979 – June 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]]||[[ |
|[[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]]||[[Michael Havers]]||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Solicitor General for England and Wales|Solicitor General]]||[[Ian Percival|Sir Ian Percival]]||5 May 1979|| |
|[[Solicitor General for England and Wales|Solicitor General]]||[[Ian Percival|Sir Ian Percival]]||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Lord Advocate]]||[[ |
|[[Lord Advocate]]||[[The Lord Mackay of Clashfern]]||5 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|[[Solicitor General for Scotland]]||[[Nicholas Fairbairn]]||7 May 1979|| |
|rowspan=2|[[Solicitor General for Scotland]]||[[Nicholas Fairbairn]]||7 May 1979|| |
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Line 602: | Line 605: | ||
|[[Robert Boscawen|Hon. Robert Boscawen]]||17 February 1983|| |
|[[Robert Boscawen|Hon. Robert Boscawen]]||17 February 1983|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|{{ubl|[[ |
|{{ubl|[[Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms]] |<small>([[Chief Whip]] in the House of Lords)</small>}} ||[[Bertram Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham|The Lord Denham]]||6 May 1979|| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|rowspan=2|{{ubl|[[Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard]] |<small> (Deputy [[Whip (politics)|Whip]], House of Lords) </small>}} ||[[Richard Hill, 7th Baron Sandys|The Lord Sandys]]||6 May 1979|| |
|rowspan=2|{{ubl|[[Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard]] |<small> (Deputy [[Whip (politics)|Whip]], House of Lords) </small>}} ||[[Richard Hill, 7th Baron Sandys|The Lord Sandys]]||6 May 1979|| |
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[[Category:1980s in the United Kingdom]] |
[[Category:1980s in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:1983 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]] |
[[Category:1983 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:Margaret Thatcher |
[[Category:Premiership of Margaret Thatcher]] |
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[[Category:Ministries of Elizabeth II]] |
[[Category:Ministries of Elizabeth II]] |
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[[Category:British ministries]] |
[[Category:British ministries]] |
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[[Category:Cabinets established in 1979]] |
[[Category:Cabinets established in 1979]] |
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[[Category:Cabinets disestablished in 1983]] |
[[Category:Cabinets disestablished in 1983]] |
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[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) cabinets]] |
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[[pl:Drugi rząd Margaret Thatcher]] |
[[pl:Drugi rząd Margaret Thatcher]] |
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[[pl:Trzeci rząd Margaret Thatcher]] |
[[pl:Trzeci rząd Margaret Thatcher]] |
Latest revision as of 02:59, 19 December 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2017) |
First Thatcher ministry | |
---|---|
Cabinet of the United Kingdom | |
1979–1983 | |
Date formed | 4 May 1979 |
Date dissolved | 10 June 1983 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
Prime Minister's history | Premiership of Margaret Thatcher |
Deputy Prime Minister | [note 1] |
Total no. of members | 213 appointments |
Member party | Conservative Party |
Status in legislature | Majority 339 / 635 (53%) |
Opposition cabinet | |
Opposition party | Labour Party |
Opposition leader |
|
History | |
Election | 1979 general election |
Outgoing election | 1983 general election |
Legislature terms | 48th UK Parliament |
Budgets | |
Predecessor | Callaghan ministry |
Successor | Second Thatcher ministry |
Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990, during which time she led a Conservative majority government. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to liberalise the British economy through deregulation, privatisation, and the promotion of entrepreneurialism.
This article details the first Thatcher ministry which she led at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II from 1979 to 1983.
Formation
[edit]Following the vote of no confidence against the Labour government and prime minister James Callaghan on 28 March 1979, a general election was called for 3 May 1979. The Winter of Discontent had seen the Labour government's popularity slump during the previous four months, and the opinion polls all pointed towards a Conservative victory.
The Conservatives won the election with a majority of 43 seats and their leader Margaret Thatcher became the United Kingdom's first female prime minister.
Thatcher inherited some of the worst economic statistics of postwar Britain. The nation was still feeling the effects of the numerous strikes during the recent Winter of Discontent. Inflation had recently topped twenty per cent, and unemployment was in excess of 1.5 million for the first time since the 1930s.
Thatcher's monetarist and deflationary economic policies saw a cut in the inflation rate from a high of 22 per cent in May 1980 to just over 13 per cent by January 1981, and by June 1983 it had fallen to a 15-year low of 4.9 per cent.
Decreasing the public sector borrowing requirement as a share of GDP was a part of the medium term financial strategy at the beginning of the first Thatcher ministry. It was brought down from around five per cent during the 1978–1979 period to around half of this figure during the 1982–1983 period.[1]
Public expenditure as a share of GDP increased at around 1.5 per cent per year during the 1979–1983 period, despite the target being a reduction of one per cent, per year. This increase in spending was mostly driven by larger expenditures in social security programs such as unemployment benefits, industrial support, and increased lending to nationalized industries; defense spending did not go up considerably during the Falklands War.[2]
Long-term unemployment increased considerably during this period: almost one third of the unemployed had been without a job for more than one year. The manufacturing industry was considerably affected during the first Thatcher government: employment in this sector decreased by almost 20 per cent between 1979 and 1982. This decrease drove almost all of the drop in employment for this period.[3]
Productivity started seeing considerable growth during the 1979–1982 period in some industries. Total factor productivity growth during these years was 13.9 per cent in the metal manufacture industry, 6.6 per cent in motor vehicle manufacture, 7.1 per cent in ship and aircraft manufacture, and 7.5 per cent in agriculture.[4]
Income distribution widened considerably during Thatcher's ministry. During the 1979–1986 period, real income per capita fell for the two lower quintiles by four and 12 per cent respectively; but for the top three quintiles, it went up by 24, 11, and 10 per cent, respectively.[5]
Thatcher also oversaw union reforms which saw strikes at their lowest for thirty years by 1983. However, her economic policies also resulted in the loss of much of Britain's heavy industry. Coal pits, steel plants, machine-tools and shipyards were particularly hard hit, most of all in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. By 1983, unemployment had reached 3.2 million, although economic growth was now re-established following the recession of 1980 and 1981.
The Labour opposition, which changed leader from James Callaghan to Michael Foot in 1980, was in no position to exploit the situation and mount a threat to the Conservative government's power. The change of leader saw the party shift dramatically to the left, and in 1981 a host of disenchanted Labour MPs formed the breakaway Social Democratic Party. The new party swiftly formed an alliance with the Liberals with a view to forming a coalition government at the next election. Roy Jenkins, leader of the SDP, worked in conjunction with Liberal leader David Steel with the goal of forming a coalition government at the next general election. For a while, opinion polls suggested that this could happen, with support for the Alliance peaking at 50 per cent in late 1981, with both the Tories and Labour faring dismally.
However, when the Falkland Islands (a British dependent territory in the South Atlantic) were seized by Argentine forces in March 1982, Thatcher was swift to mount a military response. The subsequent ten-week Falklands War concluded with a British victory on 14 June when the Argentines surrendered. The success of this military campaign saw a rapid turnaround in voter sentiment, with the Tory government firmly in the lead in all major opinion polls by the summer of 1982. A Conservative victory at the next election appeared inevitable, although it appeared far from clear whether it would be Labour or the Alliance who formed the next opposition.
Fate
[edit]Thatcher had the option of waiting until May 1984 before calling a general election, but the opinion polls remained in her favour as 1983 dawned; she called a general election for 9 June. With all the pollsters pointing towards a Conservative majority, the most interesting outcome of the election was the guessing game as to whether it would be Labour or the Alliance who formed the next opposition.
In the event, the Conservatives were re-elected with a 144-seat majority. The election was an unmitigated disaster for Labour, who polled a mere 27.6 per cent of the vote and were left with just 209 MPs in the new parliament. The Alliance came close to Labour in terms of votes with 25.4 per cent of the electorate voting for them, but won a mere 23 seats.
Cabinets
[edit]May 1979 to September 1981
[edit]- Margaret Thatcher – Prime Minister
- William Whitelaw – Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister
- The Lord Soames – Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
- The Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone – Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
- Sir Geoffrey Howe – Chancellor of the Exchequer
- The Lord Carrington – Foreign Secretary
- Ian Gilmour – Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
- John Biffen – Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Peter Walker – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Norman St John-Stevas – Leader of the House of Commons and Minister of State for the Arts and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Francis Pym – Secretary of State for Defence
- Mark Carlisle – Secretary of State for Education
- James Prior – Secretary of State for Employment
- David Howell – Secretary of State for Energy
- Michael Heseltine – Secretary of State for the Environment
- Patrick Jenkin – Secretary of State for Social Services
- Keith Joseph – Secretary of State for Industry
- Humphrey Atkins – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Angus Maude – Paymaster General
- George Younger – Secretary of State for Scotland
- John Nott – Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- Nicholas Edwards – Secretary of State for Wales
Changes
[edit]- January 1981 –
- Francis Pym succeeded Norman St John-Stevas as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Leader of the House of Commons. Pym succeeded Angus Maude as Paymaster-General.
- John Nott succeeded Francis Pym as Secretary of State for Defence. John Biffen succeeded Nott as Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade.
- Leon Brittan succeeded John Biffen as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
- Norman St John-Stevas resigned as Minister for the Arts. His successor was not in the Cabinet.
- the post of Secretary of State for Transport was brought into the Cabinet and Norman Fowler was given the post.
September 1981 to June 1983
[edit]In September 1981, a substantial reshuffle took place.
- Margaret Thatcher – Prime Minister
- William Whitelaw – Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister
- Francis Pym – Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council
- The Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone – Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
- Sir Geoffrey Howe – Chancellor of the Exchequer
- The Lord Carrington – Foreign Secretary
- Humphrey Atkins – Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
- Leon Brittan – Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Peter Walker – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- John Nott – Secretary of State for Defence
- Keith Joseph – Secretary of State for Education
- Norman Tebbit – Secretary of State for Employment
- Nigel Lawson – Secretary of State for Energy
- Michael Heseltine – Secretary of State for the Environment
- Norman Fowler – Secretary of State for Social Services
- Patrick Jenkin – Secretary of State for Industry
- The Baroness Young – Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- James Prior – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Cecil Parkinson – Paymaster General
- George Younger – Secretary of State for Scotland
- John Biffen – Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- David Howell – Secretary of State for Transport
- Nicholas Edwards – Secretary of State for Wales
Changes
[edit]- April 1982 –
- Francis Pym succeeded Lord Carrington as Foreign Secretary. John Biffen succeeded Pym as Lord President of the Council.
- Baroness Young succeeded Humphrey Atkins as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Cecil Parkinson succeeded Young as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- Lord Cockfield succeeded John Biffen as Secretary of State for Trade.
- January 1983 – Michael Heseltine succeeded John Nott as Secretary of State for Defence. Tom King succeeded Heseltine as Secretary of State for the Environment.
List of ministers
[edit]Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.
Notes
[edit]- ^ William Whitelaw did not officially hold the title of Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Hennessy 2001, p. 405). He only served as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party.
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Buiter et al. 1983, pp. 323–334.
- ^ Buiter et al. 1983, p. 332.
- ^ Buiter et al. 1983, p. 337.
- ^ Bean & Symons 1989, p. 38.
- ^ Bean & Symons 1989, p. 53.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bean, Charles; Symons, James (1989). "Ten Years of Mrs. T." NBER Macroeconomics Annual. 4: 13–61. doi:10.1086/654096. S2CID 153189592.
- Buiter, Willem; Miller, Marcus; Sachs, Jeffrey; Branson, William (1983). "Changing the Rules: Economic Consequences of the Thatcher Regime" (PDF). Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. 1983 (2): 305–379. doi:10.2307/2534293. JSTOR 2534293.
- Hennessy, Peter (2001), "A Tigress Surrounded by Hamsters: Margaret Thatcher, 1979–90", The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders since 1945, Penguin Group, ISBN 978-0-14-028393-8
- British Cabinet and Government Membership, archived from the original on 16 January 2009, retrieved 20 April 2012
- British Government 1979–2005, archived from the original on 7 February 2012, retrieved 20 November 2007
- History of the Conservative Party (UK)
- 1970s in the United Kingdom
- 1979 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1980s in the United Kingdom
- 1983 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
- Premiership of Margaret Thatcher
- Ministries of Elizabeth II
- British ministries
- Cabinets established in 1979
- Cabinets disestablished in 1983
- Conservative Party (UK) cabinets