Margaret Thatcher, Social Class and UK Pop Culture

Anyone who lived through Britain's Thatcher years won't forget them in a hurry. Politically, there were no fence-sitters: you were either with her or against her, George W. Bush-style. (Thatcher is sometimes referred to as Britain's version of Ronald Reagan, but she had little of Reagan's charm or likeability.) She was adored and reviled— and not much in between.

There were plays and movies about the effects of her policies, most of them taking the line that these were scorched-earth policies that wreaked havoc on ordinary working people. There were untold songs about Thatcher— everyone from Elvis Costello to The English Beat to UB40. They attacked her for supporting apartheid in South Africa, for breaking labor unions, and for going to war in the Falkland Islands.

Under different circumstances, Thatcher might have admired those musicians for their work ethic. They practiced what she preached.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!