Thatcherism in the 21st Century

This collection examines the social and cultural legacy of Thatcherism in the 21st century. Drawing upon perspectives from a range of disciplines, it considers how Thatcherism manifests itself today and how we can assess its long-term impact. The book is divided into four sections, which offer different ways of conceptualising and addressing questions of legacy: the ideological impact of Thatcherism on the Conservative Party and on the country; the long-term impact of Thatcherism across different parts of the UK; how Thatcherism has altered social attitudes to everything from welfare spending to Europe; and how popular historical accounts of Thatcherism have become embedded in different parts of contemporary British culture. The essays in this volume draw upon newly available archival materials, oral histories, social attitudes surveys and parliamentary debates to provide a well-rounded perspective on Thatcherism today.

1. Introduction (Antony Mullen, David Jeffery, Stephen Farrall).- Part I. Ideologies.- 2. The Ideological Composition of the Parliamentary Conservative Party from Thatcher to May (Timothy Heppell).- 3. Intellectual Reactions to Thatcherism: Conceptions of Citizenship and Civil Society from 1990-2010 (Edmund Neill).- 4. Data-Driven Government: The Triumph of Thatcherism or the Revenge of Society? (Kieron O'Hara).- Part II. Regions.- 5. 'Rolling Back the Frontiers of the State, Only to See Them Re-imposed in Docklands?': Margaret Thatcher, Michael Heseltine and the Contested Parenthood of Canary Wharf (Jack Brown).- 6. 'The Jezebel Who Sought to Destroy Israel in a Day': Margaret Thatcher's Impact on the Northern Ireland Peace Process, 1984-1990 (Fiona McKelvey).- 7. "The Iron Lady? She Devastated the Country": Former Scottish Steelworkers' Narratives of Unions, Community and Thatcherism (James Ferns).- 8. Thatcherism and Wales: Impacts and Legacies (Sam Blaxland).- Part III. Attitudes.- 9. The Political Socialisation of Thatcher's Children: Identifying the Long Reach of Thatcherite Social and Economic Values and Perceptions of Crime (Emily Gray, Maria Grasso, Stephen Farrall).- 10. Margaret Thatcher and the Rhetorical Road to Brexit (Andrew S. Crines).- 11. Thatcher's Legacy and Social Security (Ruth Davidson).- Part IV. Interpretations.- 12. Thatcher's Young Men and the End of the Party: Parody, Predictions and Problems in Literary Representations of Thatcherism (Dominic Dean).- 13. The Politics of The Iron Lady (Antony Mullen).- 14. 'Death of a Member', 10 April 2013 (Martin Farr).