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2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007

The Poll Tax and the Fall of Thatcher

  • 2 things to know
  • Component 2

Overview

Recall questions on Howe's resignation speech, the divisions over Europe, the unpopularity of the poll tax and Heseltine's challenge.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What criticism did Geoffrey Howe make in his resignation speech that helped trigger Thatcher's downfall?

Process

What brought about Thatcher's fall in 1990?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What criticism did Geoffrey Howe make in his resignation speech that helped trigger Thatcher's downfall?

    Model answer

    Howe criticised Thatcher's European policy, particularly her hostile approach to European integration, in a devastating Commons speech that undermined her leadership.

  2. 2

    How did divisions over European integration contribute to Thatcher's fall from power in 1990?

    Model answer

    Cabinet ministers and backbenchers were deeply split over Britain's relationship with Europe, with Thatcher's increasingly hostile stance alienating pro-European Conservatives and creating irreconcilable divisions within the party.

  3. 3

    Why did the poll tax contribute to Thatcher's removal as Prime Minister?

    Model answer

    The poll tax was deeply unpopular, provoking riots and widespread non-payment, making Thatcher an electoral liability and convincing many Conservative MPs she had become unelectable.

  4. 4

    What role did Michael Heseltine play in Thatcher's fall from power?

    Model answer

    Heseltine launched a leadership challenge against Thatcher, forcing a ballot that demonstrated significant opposition to her continued leadership within the parliamentary party.

  5. 5

    Why did Thatcher withdraw from the leadership contest in November 1990?

    Model answer

    She failed to win outright on the first ballot, and after consulting Cabinet colleagues who advised she would lose the second ballot, she withdrew rather than face defeat.

  6. 6

    How did privatisation of nationalised industries form part of Thatcher's economic legacy?

    Model answer

    Thatcher transferred major state-owned industries to private ownership, fundamentally changing the relationship between government and the economy in a way subsequent governments largely maintained.

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