Thatcher

• In 1979 there were a mix of Thatcherites and One Nation Tories (wets) in Cabinet, but none of them were still there in 1990
• 1981 - relations with the Cabinet became very strained which eventually led to a reshuffle
• Thatcher had a Presidential style in managing her Cabinet - she dominated and it became increasingly Thatcherite in later years of her premiership
• Cabinet eventually turned on Thatcher over the EU and the declining support for the government under her leadership
• Thatcher only lost one vote on a full piece of legislation - the Shop Bill 1986 which would have ended government regulation on shops opening times on Sundays
• Thatcher had a majority after every election, her most notable being a majority of 144 after the 1983 election, which made it very easy to pass legislation
• Thatcher's opposition was relatively weak as her predecessor, James Callaghan (Labour), faced a vote of no confidence which he lost. His Labour Party was weak and divided
• Michael Foot was another part of Thatcher's opposition, who was strongly left wing but still ran a divided Labour Party and 1983 was Labour's biggest election defeat