Thatcherism in the 21st Century: The Social and Cultural Legacy

by Antony Mullen, Stephen Farrall, David Jeffery

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030417918
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	07/25/2020
Edition description:	1st ed. 2020
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Antony Mullen is the director of the Thatcher Network, UK.

Stephen Farrall is a research professor at the University of Derby, UK.

David Jeffery is a lecturer at the University of Liverpool, UK.

Table of Contents

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).

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Whether you're interested in ideological legacy, policy impact, artistic interpretations, or electoral shifts, this eclectic set of takes on one of Britain's great 'watershed' politicians is indubitably the book for you.” (Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London, UK)

“A highly original and deeply impressive collection of essays which offers considerable insight into the complex and varied legacies of Thatcherism whilst laying to rest a series of enduring myths about this most contested period of British politics.” (Colin Hay, Professor of Political Sciences, Sciences Po, Paris, France)