Thatcher Archive opens personal papers for 1980

Economic hardship, rising unemployment and a country hit hard by recession; parallels between today and 1980 are revealed in the archive papers of Margaret Thatcher, held at Cambridge University.

Thatcher’s personal papers for the year 1980 - numbering some 30,000 in total - open to the public today at Churchill College’s Churchill Archives Centre.

In conjunction with the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust, the papers have been digitised and put online via the Margaret Thatcher Foundation website.

The papers reveal the feeling among Thatcher and other Conservative Party members that their first year in office may have been something of a waste.

Papers and letters relating to 1980 - the year of Thatcher’s ’lady’s not for turning’ speech - also shine a light on political strains, foreign policy involving the Falklands, Europe and the US, as well as some light-hearted moments concerning the Prime Minister’s dislike for the flock wallpaper in her Number Ten study.

Charles Moore, Lady Thatcher’s authorised biographer, said: "The Thatcher Archive is a marvellous resource for all those interested in her career as Prime Minister and in this country’s recent political history. This release will provide the raw material to help researchers study and understand the changing political landscape of her time as Prime Minister."

Among the papers is evidence of multiple strains with party and government that are registered time and again. It is clear that some of the strain was felt personally by Thatcher whose husband, Denis, wrote an encouraging note to his wife stating that ’you’re winning’.

The economic situation in 1980, discussed constantly in backbench committees, was grim. The whole year was spent in recession with the manufacturing industry suffering a historic decline in output. Unemployment passed two million in August (continuing to rise steeply) while inflation reached a peak of 20 per cent.

A common theme of comments was that the government had wasted its first year; a view echoed by Keith Joseph, Secretary of State for Industry at the time. Word of such views reached her Press Secretary Bernard Ingham who admitted Thatcher was "quite relaxed about it’.

He went on to say: "I believe she agrees with Sir Keith but for the sake of the Government and confidence in it does not say so."

A more light-hearted letter came from Thatcher herself to the Number Ten Political Office which gave the Thatchers a portable radio for Christmas 1979.

Thatcher replied from Chequers saying: "Thank you a thousand times for solving a perpetual family feud as to who should have the radio by providing us with another one. Now we can all listen to the Today programme and all complain to the BBC!"