Talk:Margaret Thatcher

Use of the term "Statesman"

Wikipedia defines a statesman/woman as:

A politician or a leader in an organization who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level.

Merriam-Webster:

A wise, skillful, and respected political leader

I am commenting of Thatcher specifically, but many historical politicians are referred to as Statespeople on this site and I think it's unobjective to say that any controversial historical figure was "Wise, skillful, and respected." In my opinion, this line should be removed and politician may suffice. Milfiresices (talk) 02:58, 26 July 2024 (UTC)

I would tend to agree, but it's probably something that needs to be raised more widely e.g. at WP:POLITICS. I T B F 💬 03:38, 26 July 2024 (UTC)

It's sourced in the article body. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the line. ‑‑Neveselbert (talk · contribs · email) 18:04, 26 July 2024 (UTC)

Regarding the discussion on the term 'statesman,' figures like Mahathir Mohamad also come to mind. As Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, he played a crucial role in the country’s modernization and was influential on the international stage. Given his long and impactful career, he is often referred to as a statesman. This raises an interesting point—should the term be strictly defined, or does it encompass leaders who have had significant and lasting influence in governance? Baginda 480 (talk) 15:34, 27 March 2025 (UTC)

Reference to Thatcherism in lede

Hi @Neveselbert. I think we are in agreement that the term 'Thatcherism' should be introduced early in this article, given that it is a concept influential enough to have been named after her. I think we also agree that economic policy is a part of Thatcherism.

The disagreement seems to be that I believe Template:Tq, whereas you believe that it is Template:Tq, and that my edits ([1] [2]) changing "As prime minister, she implemented economic policies which have come to be known as Thatcherism" (OWTTE) to "Her style of government has come to be known as Thatcherism" are therefore incorrect ([3] [4]).

• Per OED, Thatcherism is "The political and economic policies advocated by Margaret Thatcher, esp. as contrasted with those of earlier Conservative leaders."
• We have a well-sourced article on Thatcherism, a lot of which is not about economic policy. I know Wikipedia is not a reliable source, but that article serves as a great list of references for parts of Thatcherism that are not about economic policy.
• Per this BBC News article, "At its most crude, Thatcherism represents a belief in free markets and a small state. Rather than planning and regulating business and people's lives, government's job is to get out of the way."

Certainly economic policy is a large part of Thatcherism (and the three sources above agree with that; as do I). But it's definitely not all of it. Why should we suggest to readers that it is only economic policy?

Cheers. Pink Bee (talk) 21:30, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

Hi Template:U, I've removed Template:Tq so that it now reads Template:Tqq. I agree it involves more than just economic policy. ‑‑Neveselbert (talk · contribs · email) 21:39, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

Thank you. I still think that "style of government" would be slightly more accurate, but I am not bothered enough to pursue that. Pink Bee (talk) 21:44, 1 February 2025 (UTC)

Bombing of Libya

Thatcher did not "allow" the operation. The Americans told her they would use the UK's bases to launch El Dorado Canyon without permission. 2A00:23C5:C419:D301:8:F6D:B714:7605 (talk) 17:34, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

The WaPo source says this: "Template:Tq" Martinevans123 (talk) 17:41, 20 April 2025 (UTC)

Occupations of Baroness Margaret Thatcher

I just started editing on Wikipedia so I am still learning, but I was wondering whether it would be appropriate to put "Prime Minister of the UK" and "Imperial or Candian Privi Counceler" under occupations? Thanks in advance for helping me understand this. Heraldic Nerd (talk) 23:58, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

Template:Re please see WP:INFOBOXPURPOSE. ‑‑Neveselbert (talk · contribs · email) 20:30, 1 May 2025 (UTC)