- Thatcher ministry
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Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 4 May 1979 and 28 November 1990, during which time she led a Conservative government. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to modernise the British economy and promote free markets and entrepreneurialism.
Contents
The Ministry
Cabinets listed chronologically
These are the cabinets under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (from May 1979 to November 1990).
Cabinet May 1979–September 1981
- Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister
- William Whitelaw: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary
- Sir Geoffrey Howe: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- John Biffen: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Lord Soames: Lord President of the Council
- Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone: Lord Chancellor
- Sir Ian Gilmour: Lord Privy Seal
- Lord Carrington: Foreign Secretary
- Peter Walker: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Norman St John-Stevas: Minister for the Arts and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Francis Pym: Secretary for Defence
- Mark Carlisle: Secretary of State for Education and Science
- James Prior: Secretary of State for Employment
- David Howell: Secretary of State for Energy
- Michael Heseltine: Secretary of State for the Environment
- Patrick Jenkin: Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
- Keith Joseph: Secretary of State for Industry
- Humphrey Atkins: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Angus Maude: Paymaster-General
- George Younger: Secretary of State for Scotland
- John Nott: Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- Nicholas Edwards: Secretary of State for Wales
- Michael Jopling: Chief Whip
- Michael Havers: Attorney General
Changes
- January 1981: Francis Pym succeeds Norman St John-Stevas as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Pym succeeds Angus Maude as Paymaster-General. John Nott succeeds Pym as Secretary of State for Defence. John Biffen succeeds Nott as Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade. Leon Brittan succeeds John Biffen as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. St John-Stevas resigns as Minister for the Arts. His successor is not in the cabinet. The post of Secretary of State for Transport is brought into the cabinet and Norman Fowler is given the post.
Cabinet September 1981–June 1983
September 1981: A substantial reshuffle took place:
- Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister
- William Whitelaw: Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Home Department
- Geoffrey Howe: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Leon Brittan: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Francis Pym: Lord President of the Council
- Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone: Lord Chancellor
- Humphrey Atkins: Lord Privy Seal
- Lord Carrington: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- Peter Walker: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- John Nott: Secretary of State for Defence
- Sir Keith Joseph: Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Norman Tebbit: Secretary of State for Employment
- Nigel Lawson: Secretary of State for Energy
- Michael Heseltine: Secretary of State for the Environment
- Norman Fowler: Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
- Patrick Jenkin: Secretary of State for Industry
- Baroness Young: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- James Prior: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Cecil Parkinson: Paymaster-General
- George Younger: Secretary of State for Scotland
- John Biffen: Secretary of State for Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- David Howell: Secretary of State for Transport
- Nicholas Edwards: Secretary of State for Wales
Changes
- April 1982: Francis Pym succeeds Lord Carrington as Foreign Secretary. John Biffen succeeds Pym as Lord President of the Council. Baroness Young succeeds Humphrey Atkins as Lord Privy Seal. Cecil Parkinson succeeds Baroness Young as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord Cockfield succeeds John Biffen as Secretary of State for Trade.
- January 1983: Michael Heseltine succeeds John Nott as Secretary of State for Defence. Tom King succeeds Heseltine as Secretary of State for the Environment.
Cabinet June 1983–June 1987
- Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister
- Lord Whitelaw: Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council
- Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone: Lord Chancellor
- John Biffen: Lord Privy Seal
- Nigel Lawson: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Peter Rees: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Sir Geoffrey Howe: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- Leon Brittan: Secretary of State for the Home Department
- Michael Jopling: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Michael Heseltine: Secretary of State for Defence
- Sir Keith Joseph: Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Norman Tebbit: Secretary of State for Employment
- Peter Walker: Secretary of State for Energy
- Patrick Jenkin: Secretary of State for the Environment
- Norman Fowler: Secretary of State for Health
- Lord Cockfield: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- James Prior: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- George Younger: Secretary of State for Scotland
- Cecil Parkinson: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
- Tom King: Secretary of State for Transport
- Nicholas Edwards: Secretary of State for Wales
- John Wakeham: Chief Whip
Changes
- October 1983: Tom King succeeds Norman Tebbit as Secretary of State for Employment. Norman Tebbit succeeds Cecil Parkinson as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Nicholas Ridley succeeds Tom King as Secretary of State for Transport.
- September 1984: Lord Gowrie succeeds Lord Cockfield as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Douglas Hurd succeeds James Prior as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Lord Young of Graffham enters the cabinet as Minister without Portfolio.
- September 1985: Lord Young of Graffham succeeds Tom King as Secretary of State for Employment. Kenneth Baker succeeds Patrick Jenkin as Secretary of State for the Environment. Norman Tebbit succeeds Lord Gowrie as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Tom King succeeds Douglas Hurd as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Kenneth Clarke enters the cabinet as Paymaster-General. Leon Brittan succeeds Norman Tebbit as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. John MacGregor succeeds Peter Rees as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Douglas Hurd succeeds Leon Brittan as Home Secretary.
- Early January 1986: Malcolm Rifkind succeeds George Younger as Secretary of State for Scotland. Younger succeeds Michael Heseltine as Secretary of State for Defence.
- Late January 1986: Paul Channon succeeds Leon Brittan as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
- May 1986: Nicholas Ridley succeeds Kenneth Baker as Secretary of State for the Environment. John Moore succeeds Nicholas Ridley as Secretary of State for Transport. Kenneth Baker succeeds Keith Joseph as Secretary of State for Education and Science.
Cabinet June 1987–July 1989
- Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister
- Lord Whitelaw: Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council
- Lord Havers: Lord Chancellor
- John Wakeham: Lord Privy Seal
- Nigel Lawson: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- John Major: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Geoffery Howe: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- Douglas Hurd: Secretary of State for the Home Department
- John MacGregor: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- George Younger: Secretary of State for Defence
- Kenneth Baker: Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Norman Fowler: Secretary of State for Employment
- Cecil Parkinson: Secretary of State for Energy
- Nicholas Ridley: Secretary of State for the Environment
- John Moore: Secretary of State for Health
- Kenneth Clarke: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Tom King: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Malcolm Rifkind: Secretary of State for Scotland
- Lord Young of Graffham: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
- Paul Channon: Secretary of State for Transport
- Peter Walker: Secretary of State for Wales
- David Waddington: Chief Whip
- Sir Patrick Mayhew: Attorney General
Changes
- October 1987: Lord Mackay of Clashfern succeeds Lord Havers as Lord Chancellor.
- January 1988: Lord Whitelaw retires and is succeeded by John Wakeham as Lord President; no new Deputy Prime Minister is appointed until July 1989. Lord Belstead succeeds Wakeham as Lord Privy Seal.
- July 1988: Department of Health and Social Security broken up into component parts. John Moore continues on as Secretary of State for Social Security. Kenneth Clarke becomes Secretary of State for Health. Tony Newton succeeds Clarke as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Cabinet July 1989–November 1990
July 1989: Reshuffle:
- Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister
- Sir Geoffrey Howe: Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council
- Lord Mackay of Clashfern: Lord Chancellor
- Lord Belstead: Lord Privy Seal
- Nigel Lawson: Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Norman Lamont: Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- John Major: Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- Douglas Hurd: Secretary of State for the Home Department
- John Gummer: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Tom King: Secretary of State for Defence
- John MacGregor: Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Norman Fowler: Secretary of State for Employment
- John Wakeham: Secretary of State for Energy
- Chris Patten: Secretary of State for the Environment
- Kenneth Clarke: Secretary of State for Health
- Kenneth Baker: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Peter Brooke: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Malcolm Rifkind: Secretary of State for Scotland
- Tony Newton: Secretary of State for Social Security
- Nicholas Ridley: Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
- Cecil Parkinson: Secretary of State for Transport
- Peter Walker: Secretary of State for Wales
Changes
- October 1989: John Major succeeds Nigel Lawson as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Douglas Hurd succeeds John Major as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. David Waddington succeeds Douglas Hurd as Secretary of State for the Home Department. Tim Renton succeeds David Waddington as Chief Whip.
- January 1990: Norman Fowler resigns as Secretary of State for Employment and is succeeded by Michael Howard.
- May 1990: Peter Walker finally resigns as Secretary of State for Wales having announced his intentions in March. David Hunt succeeds him.
- July 1990: Nicholas Ridley resigns as Secretary of State for Trade & Industry. Peter Lilley succeeds him.
- November 1990: At the start of the month Geoffrey Howe resigns and the title of Deputy Prime Minister was not reallocated. John MacGregor succeeds him as Lord President of the Council and is in turn succeeded by Kenneth Clarke as Secretary of State for Education and Science who is succeeded by William Waldegrave as Secretary of State for Health.
Preceded by
Callaghan MinistryList of British ministries
1979–1990Succeeded by
Major MinistryMargaret Thatcher Member of Parliament 
Ideology Premiership Thatcher Ministry · Cold War · 1981 Irish hunger strike · The lady's not for turning · Falklands War · Brighton hotel bombing · Opposition to trade unions · Miners' strike · Local Government Act · Westland affair · Sermon on the Mound · Community Charge · Gulf War · Resignation HonoursParty elections General elections Family Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Bt (husband) · The Hon. Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Bt (son) · The Hon. Carol Thatcher (daughter) · Alfred Roberts (father)Cultural depictions Thatcher: The Final Days · The Falklands Play · Pinochet in Suburbia · The Long Walk to Finchley · Margaret · The Iron Lady · The Hunt for Tony Blair · Steve Nallon · Janet BrownCategories:- British ministries
- Conservative Party (UK)
- 20th century in the United Kingdom
- 1979 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1990 disestablishments
- Margaret Thatcher
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