Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first ever female Prime Minister following the general election in May of 1979. She and her cabinet inherited a country in peril. The economy was marred by a rising rate of inflation and levels of unemployment not seen since the early 1930s. The policy of past governments was for direct action on prices and wages to curb rising inflation rates and to adopt an expansionary fiscal policy to slow unemployment. Despite the …showed first 75 words of 1412 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1412 total…politicians and the public alike, over her reign as Prime Minister averaged a shade below 40%. Thatcherism can be best explained as unpopular, but necessary, policies implemented simply by the sheer strength of Thatcher's character. Her humble middle-class background was shared by many and her convictions instilled in her by her father from a very young age, helped turn the tide against Labour's negative influence and bring a nation back into standing in the world community.