History Daily - Margaret Thatcher’s Last Election Victory

Episode Date: June 11, 2026

June 11, 1987. Britain’s Conservative Party wins a third successive general election that ensures that Margaret Thatcher remains Prime Minister. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

It's 10 a.m. on June 11, 1987, inside the Central London Institute in Westminster. The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher takes a paper ballot from an election official and crosses the room to a small curtain booth. It's general election day when voters across the United Kingdom elect their representatives in Parliament. And since Margaret Thatcher emerged from her official residence at 10 Downing Street this morning, she's been trailed by a swarm of reporters and camera crews, all eager to capture her every move. But no one is permitted to follow the Prime Minister here

into the polling station where she'll cast her own vote. She draws back the curtain and steps inside the booth. With a quick, deliberate motion, she marks a bold X beside the name of the chosen candidate. Thatcher then folds the paper and drops it into the ballot box. She's just cast a vote for the Conservative Party, and she hopes that millions of others across the country will do the same. She smiles at the election official,

as she exits a hall. Then she heads back outside, where she's immediately surrounded by the journalists who followed her here. Her driver holds the car door open, but Thatcher pauses before she climbs inside the car and turns to the crown. A reporter calls out asking her to predict the election result. Thatcher declines to answer the question directly, but she does say that she's feeling two emotions, hope and belief. Margaret Thatcher's confidence is well-placed. In the early hours of the next day, the result of the election will become clear. The Conservative Party will have won a crushing victory, and she will have retained her position as Prime Minister. But the moment of triumph will not last. A series of missteps and growing animosity within her

own party will bring her down, and Margaret Thatcher will not complete the historic third term she wins on June 11, 1987. From Noisor and Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is June 11, 1987, Margaret Thatcher's last election victory. It's 3 a.m. on June 12, 1987 in Hendon Town Hall, North London, five hours after polls closed in the UK's general election. Decked out in her familiar suit and pearls, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher pours herself a glass of water while she waits for the results

of the vote from her parliamentary constituency. Winning there will confirm her place as a member of parliament, but it won't ensure that she remains Prime Minister. For that to happen, several hundred other conservative candidates from across the country must also secure victory, enough to give the party a majority in the British Parliament. But winning her own constituency is a vital first step on Thatcher's Road back to power. When she first entered Downing Street in 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the United Kingdom's first female prime minister. Her two terms in office so far have been anything but smooth, though. Soon after her first election victory, the U.K. was plunged into a recession.

An Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands then forced the largest overseas deployment of British troops since World War II. Thatcher herself was almost killed in a terrorist bomb attack by Irish Republicans, and in the country's industrial regions, her economic policies have sparked fierce opposition. Her government's controversial decision to close dozens of coal mines led to mass unemployment and a bitter year-long minor strike. Yet Thatcher never wavered. She pressed ahead with her free market agenda, privatizing what she saw as inefficient

government-owned industries. And by the fall of 1986, the economy had begun to stabilize after years of high inflation and job losses. The Conservative Party performed well in local elections, and Thatcher's personal approval rating was high in key areas of the country, especially London and the southeast. And though a general election wasn't due until 1988, as prime minister, Thatcher could call an election early, and the improving polls convinced her it was the right move. Victory will mark a historic achievement because no prime minister since the early 19th century

has triumphed in three consecutive general elections. Inside Hendon Town Hall, Thatcher sits alongside candidates from England's other major political parties, Labor and the Liberals. With national attention focused on her campaign, even a novelty candidate has joined the race, Lord Buckethead, man dressed up as an intergalactic villain with more than a passing resemblance to Darth Vader from Star Wars. But despite the spectacle, he adds, the result is never in doubt. One by one, the candidates' votes are announced, and Thatcher secures more than 50 percent,

comfortably retaining her seat in Parliament. After the election official finishes reading out the totals, Thatcher rises to deliver the customary speech by the victorious candidate. But this moment is far from cordial. Shouts of fascist scum and Thatcher out echo around the hall. But Thatcher remains composed and waits out the hecklers. When the noise finally subsides, she thanks the voters and campaign volunteers,

keeping her speech to local manners. She doesn't mention her broader plan for the country. that will be addressed when the full general election result is officially announced. And she doesn't have long to wait. By the time the sun rises, it becomes clear that the Conservative Party has won another large majority with 376 seats to Labor's 229. That means Margaret Thatcher will remain as Prime Minister. And when Parliament reconvenes, Thatcher moves quickly to outline her new agenda.

Even though she has been Prime Minister for eight years already, She insists that there is still more to be done. She promises the privatization of electricity and water providers. She introduces changes to the education system that put in place a mandatory, standardized curriculum for all schools to follow. But her biggest proposal concerns taxation. For decades, local governments have been funded through a sliding scale of property taxes. But Thatcher believes a new fixed-rate tax would be more fair. That way, every adult will pay the same rate for the services in their area.

She names this new economic policy the community charge. But critics quickly label it the poll tax, a name loaded with historical resentment, recalling an unpopular earlier tax that led to the peasants' revolt of 1381. Opponents claim that this new poll tax will hit lower-income households hardest while benefiting the wealthy. But despite the controversy, the policy passes through Parliament and becomes law. But it will turn out to be the most damaging decision that Prime Minister will ever make. Loathed across the country, the poll tax will mark the start of Margaret Thatcher's end.

It's March 31st, 1990 in Cheltenham Town Hall, England, two years after Margaret Thatcher's third general election victory. Thatcher steps onto the stage for the Conservative Spring Party Convention. Even though she's welcomed by warm applause, the mood is not as buoyant as it has been in previous years. On the streets outside, the tension is unmistakable. A large police presence is in place. Snipers have been stationed on rooftops. They're all braced for protests against the introduction of the community charge that are known as the poll tax.

Thatcher's refusal to compromise on the tax has caused anger. Even here in affluent Cheltenham, a traditional stronghold for the Conservative Party, the shift from property tax to a fixed tax is widely seen as grossly unfair. But the discontent isn't limited to the public. many of her own conservative party members have criticized the new policy too. There's even been a major rift between Thatcher and one of the most senior members of her government. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson was responsible for all economic and financial policy,

but he publicly aligned with the critics of the poll tax, putting him on a collision course with Thatcher. In the end, he chose to resign rather than accept her flagship tax policy. And now many are wondering whether other conservatives, might follow his lead and turn against Thatcher at this spring convention. But from the stage, Thatcher begins with characteristic defiance. She brushes aside any rumors that she might soon retire. She has no intention of stepping down. Instead, she claims that she is ready to make hard choices in the face of rising inflation.

She hails her new chancellor of the exchequer, John Major, as the man who will help fix the economy, and at this, the audience, cheers. But the room goes silent when she finally mentions the poll tax. There are just 24 hours left until it is officially introduced in England and Wales. And even so, many wonder whether Thatcher will amend the unpopular policy or even delay it at the last moment. But instead, Thatcher doubles down. She insists that the community charge is the fairest way to pay for local services. She criticizes her political opponents, warning that the alternatives to conservative government would bankrupt the country. Thatcher even sparks laughter when she makes jokes at the expense of her political rivals,

and she concludes with a stirring call to arms. All in all, it's a commanding performance, and it moves many of the delegates in the audience. When she's finally finished her speech, the hall rises in a standing ovation, and Thatcher leaves the stage to rapturous applause. Still, winning over the Conservative Party is one thing, convincing the rest of the country is another. And while the convention is still underway, news reaches stature of a protest in London's Trafalgar Square, only a few hundred yards from Parliament. More than 200,000 people have gathered, united in opposition to the poll tax. And when mounted police try to disperse the crowd,

violence erupts, windows are smashed and fires are set, several police officers are injured. The headlines in the next day's newspapers are grim. Critics within the Conservative Party who were mollified by Thatcher's speech, now begin to question her leadership again. The pressure intensifies when another divide opens up between Thatcher and her advisors, this time over Europe. Thatcher wants to distance Britain from its European neighbors,

vowing not to give up British sovereignty to European laws and regulations, but many conservatives see opportunities in a closer economic and political alliance. So to rule out deeper integration with the European community, Thatcher delivers a fiery responsibility. speech. But if this is an attempt to shut down debate on the issue, it backfires. The deputy

prime minister, Jeffrey Howe, resigns in a scathing speech of his own, he pins the blame squarely on Margaret Thatcher. Her refusal to compromise was once seen as a strength, evidence of her unshakable principles, but now it's seen as a fatal weakness. The departure of such a senior figure in government triggers a chain reaction. Under party rules, any conservative member of parliament can force a leadership election, and sensing an opportunity to take Thatcher down, former minister and long-standing critic Michael Heseltine puts his name forward.

Within days, conservative members of Parliament will vote on who will lead them. Whoever they choose will immediately become Prime Minister. And despite dominating British politics for more than a decade and delivering three election victories, Margaret Thatcher will have to be persuasive if she's going to keep her job. It's the evening of November 20th,

1990, outside the British Embassy in Paris, France, less than three weeks after Margaret Thatcher was challenged for the leadership of the Conservative Party. In front of the embassy's grand facade, 46-year-old BBC reporter John Sargent speaks into a television camera. He came to Paris to report on Thatcher's attendance at a European summit. Now he's live on air with the breaking news that results of the Conservative leadership election are in. There are only two names on the ballot, the incumbent Margaret Thatcher and former cabinet minister Michael Heseltine. Thatcher has gained 204 votes to Heseltine's 152 with 16 abstentions. It's a clear lead for Thatcher, but it's still not enough.

According to the party's rules, there has to be a 15% margin of victory for the winner, otherwise there will be a second round of voting. Margaret Thatcher has fallen just short. Now conservative members of Parliament must vote again, and other candidates are free to enter the race. But as reporter John Sargent explains this situation to BBC viewers, the embassy doors open behind him. John is oblivious as Thatcher descends the steps preparing to return to London. But in John's earpiece, a producer urgently tells him to turn around.

John pivots and suddenly finds himself face to face with the prime minister. His instincts kick in, and he calls out a question, asking for her immediate reaction to the results. A press secretary moves to block him, but Thatcher paused. and then she answers. Now, she's very pleased that I got more than half the parliamentary party and disappointed that it's not quite enough to win on the first ballot. So I confirm it is my intention to let my name go forward for the second ballot. At that moment, she is determined to fight on.

But when she returns to London, the situation rapidly changes. In a series of meetings, senior cabinet ministers make it clear that her failure to secure a clear victory has made her look at. week. It's unlikely she'll get more votes on the second round, and it would be better for the party and the country if she stood aside now. So two days later, Margaret Thatcher announces her intention to step down as Conservative Party leader and prime minister. Within a week, she is replaced by her Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major. Thatcher's legacy will be debated for decades to come. For some, she was the Iron Lady, the woman who saved the United Kingdom from decline. To others,

she was an extremist who cruelly condemned large parts of the country to poverty. But to the frustration of both her supporters and her detractors, it wasn't the verdict of the people at the ballot box that brought an end to Thatcher's time in office. She left Downing Street, having never lost a general election. Instead, her downfall came from within. Abandoned by her own party, she was unable to complete the third term she won in a landslide on June 11, 1987. Next on History Daily. June 12, 1864. One of the bloodiest encounters of the American Civil War comes to an end

when the Union Army retreats from the Battle of Cold Harbor. From Noisor and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham. Audio editing by Mohamed Shazzy, sound design by Molly Bond, music by Throne. This episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols, edited by Scott Reeves, managing producer Emily Burke, executive producers,

or William Simpson for airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.