Inspired by Winston Churchill and unwavering in conviction, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher saved the “sick man of Europe.”
In 1979, Thatcher began her mission to save Britain from socialism, to save the world from communism, and to spread freedom the world over.
Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, along with his co-author, Stephen Thompson, discussed their powerful new book, “Margaret Thatcher on Leadership,” last week at Heritage.
They explained how Thatcher’s leadership saved Great Britain, and that the same conservative principles will save conservatism in America today.
Gardiner explained that Lady Thatcher was a reformer, “She implemented a political revolution in Britain, known as Thatcherism, which was all about small government, it was all about low taxes, it was about returning power back to people, back to businesses and away from government.”
Thatcher’s conservative, no-nonsense economic policies saved Britain’s failing economy. “She enabled millions of Britons to buy shares in those formerly state-owned industries. Her government sold off millions of council houses and government-owned public housing, enabling a whole generation to be able to buy their own homes,” said Gardiner.
Gardiner explained that Thatcher’s strong, peace-through-strength philosophy and deep-seated relationship with the United States helped to end the Cold War. “Together with Ronald Reagan, she confronted the might of the Soviet Empire, and, through the strength of the partnership between Reagan and Thatcher, this mighty empire collapsed,” he said.
Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom was established in 2005 through the support of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation. It is the only public policy center in the world dedicated to advancing Thatcher’s vision and ideals.
“Margaret Thatcher felt that she was put on earth for a reason, for a mission, and that was to save Britain, defeat communism, to advance the cause of freedom and liberty across the world,” said Gardiner.
Thompson urged young Americans to follow in Thatcher’s example: “Your role will be like Margaret Thatcher’s. You’re going to have to clean up the mess today. The United States is not headed in a good direction, and it will fall upon your shoulders to clean up this mess. But you can take heart. Somebody did it before. It can be done.”
Gardiner and Thompson spoke at Heritage on November 5. The video runs about an hour.