Candidates to lead UK disputes over Margaret Thatcher’s legacy | the world

Thatcher, the most polarizing prime minister in modern British history, was criticized and respected in equal measure as she crushed unions and privatized large swaths of industry.

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Fierce and outspoken, he led the Conservatives to three electoral victories, ruling from 1979 to 1990, his longest tenure as British prime minister for more than 150 years.

who wants to be the next leader of UKFormer finance minister Rishi Sunak said his economic views were “common sense Thatcherism” after clashing with other candidates by refusing immediate tax cuts.

Business Minister Benny Mordant said this week that she, like Thatcher, was undervalued for being a woman. Finance Minister Nadim Zahavi said Thatcher was his political idol and that her beginnings as a shopkeeper’s daughter had shown him that anyone could succeed. UK.

Conservative vote

Candidates are vying for Thatcher’s legacy as they try to appeal to the 200,000 Conservative Party members who choose the next prime minister, rather than the millions of voters who would normally vote in an election. Mostly white, older and male, they worshiped Thatcher.

“Thatcher remains a political hero for many members of the Conservative Party, many of whom are old enough to remember the Thatcher years vividly and regard them as some of the best political years we have ever seen,” said Jonathan Tonge, professor of politics. from the University of Liverpool. “Criticizing Thatcher won’t get you elected.”

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