Some key documents

Historic Moments

Press conference immediately after winning the leadership: ... "It is like a dream"

A prayer on the steps of No.10 (May 1979): "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony" ...
The depths of recession (Oct 1980): "You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning" ...
Defending her Chancellor (Mar 1981 budget): "Behind every good man there is a good woman"

Argentina invades (2 Apr)
"Nothing remains more vividly in my mind ..." (memoirs extract)
Diplomatic warfare: the War Cabinet divided (24 Apr)
"I would have resigned" ... (memoirs extract)
Recapturing South Georgia (25 Apr)
... "Rejoice" ...
Deciding to sink the Belgrano (2 May)
"one of the most decisive military actions of the war" (memoirs extract)
Announcing the Argentine surrender (14 Jun)
..."white flags over Port Stanley"
Lessons of the war
"We have ceased to be a nation in retreat"

Terrorists bomb the party conference hotel: "At 2.54am a loud thud shook the room" ... (memoirs extract)
Speech the following day: ... "all attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail"

First meeting with Gorbachev, 16 Dec 1984: "We can do business together" (memoirs extract)
Visiting President Reagan at Camp David, 22 Dec 1984: Full US record of a fascinating conversation, newly released
The Geneva Summit Nov 1985 Session 1: 19 Nov a.m: Full US record of the opening session of the first Reagan-Gorbachev summit, newly released; For full record of whole summit search 19-20 Nov 1985 in the Archive
The Reykjavik Summit Oct 1986 Session 1: 11 Oct a.m | Session 2: 11 Oct p.m | Session 3: 12 Oct a.m | Session 4: 12 Oct p.m: Full US records of the whole of the dramatic Reagan-Gorbachev summit, newly released [500K+ files]

Result of the first ballot
"Not quite as good as we'd hoped" (memoirs extract)
Remarks outside the Paris Embassy
"I confirm it is my intention to let my name go forward for the second ballot"
Cabinet overboard
"I had lost the Cabinet's support" (memoirs extract)
Final Commons Speech as PM
"I am enjoying this"

1988: Margaret Thatcher on Ronald Reagan: article in the National Review
1994: the Anglo-American relationship: "inextricably linked"
1997: Lecture to the Heritage Foundation: President Reagan, Conservatism & the politics of the 1990s
Key site documents on USA: List key documents on this site

1979: Winston Churchill Lecture: "Europe - The Obligations of Liberty"
1979: Dublin Press Conference: "What we are asking is for a very large amount of our own money back"
1988: the Bruges speech: "Let Europe be a family of nations" ...
1992: the Hague speech: "yesterday's future" ...

1975: The Iron Lady I (Chelsea speech)
1976: The Iron Lady II (Kensington speech): Attacking detente & angering the Soviets
1987: Interviewed on Soviet Television: "Conventional weapons have never been enough to stop wars."
2000: Speech at the Hoover Institution: Lessons of the Cold War, & the future


1968: What's Wrong with Politics?: Seminal pamphlet
1969: Article for Daily Telegraph ("Consensus - or choice?")
1969: Article for Daily Telegraph ("Participation - in what?"): Rejecting 'consensus' & big government
1977: A speech in Zurich: Statement of Conservative economics
1983: An exposition of "Victorian Values": "the values when our country became great"
1987: 'no such thing as society'?: A controversial interview (extract)
1988: Speech to the Centre for Policy Studies: Hitherto unreported speech, reflecting on the Thatcher record
1988: Speech to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland: Politics, economics & Christianity
1988: Royal Society speech: The environment
1996: Keith Joseph Lecture: "Liberty & Limited Government"