Read The Downing Street Years Online
Authors: Margaret Thatcher
1989 | |
January 31 | Publication of NHS White Paper. |
March 27 | PM began six-day visit to Africa. |
April 1 | PM visited Namibia. |
April 5 | Mr Gorbachev began a three-day visit to UK. |
May 29–30 | NATO fortieth anniversary summit in Brussels. |
June 3 | China: Tiananmen Square; massacre. |
June 26 | Madrid European Council. |
July 14–16 | French Revolution Bicentennial and Paris G7summit. |
July 24 | Reshuffle: John Moore, Paul Channon, Lord Youngand George Younger left the Government. Geoffrey Howe from FCO to Lord President and Leader HC. John Major succeeded him at FCO. |
September 19–22 | PM visited Japan. |
October 18–24 | Kuala Lumpur CHOGM. |
October 26 | Nigel Lawson resigned. John Major replaced himas Chancellor and Douglas Hurd became ForeignSecretary. |
November 9 | East Germany: announced opening of its border with West Germany. Demolition of Berlin Wallbegan 10 November. |
December 5 | PM defeated Sir Anthony Meyer in leadershipelection 314:33. Twenty-seven abstained. |
December 10 | Czechoslovakia: end of communist rule. |
December 22 | Romania: Ceauşescu overthrown. |
1990 | |
February 2 | South Africa: President de Klerk announcedunbanning of ANC. Nelson Mandela released February 11. |
March 31 | Trafalgar Square riot. |
April 24–25 | PM visited Turkey on seventy-fifth anniversary of Gallipoli landings. |
July 6 | NATO summit in London. |
July 9 | Houston G7 summit. |
July 14 | Nick Ridley resigned. |
July 30 | IRA murdered Ian Gow. |
August 2 | Gulf: Iraq invaded Kuwait. PM held talks in Aspen, Colorado with President Bush. |
September 17–19 | PM visited Czechoslovakia and Hungary. |
October 3 | German reunification. |
October 27–28 | Rome European Council. |
November 1 | Geoffrey Howe resigned. |
November 19–21 | CSCE summit in Paris. |
November 20 | Conservative leadership first ballot: MT 204, Heseltine 152, 16 abstentions. |
November 22 | PM announced decision not to contest secondballot. Final speech to the Commons as PM. |
November 28 | MT resigned as PM. |
Names marked with an asterisk denote ministers changing jobs or entering the Cabinet for the first time at the beginning of the defined period.
Names in italics denote ministers who left the Government at the end of the defined period.
Names in bold denote Cabinet members. Others in roman.
List of Offices | May 1979–January 1981 | January – September 1981 |
PM | MRS THATCHER | MRS THATCHER |
Chllr Exchequer | HOWE | HOWE |
Chief Secretary | BIFFEN | * BRITTAN |
Foreign Secretary | CARRINGTON | CARRINGTON |
Home Secretary | WHITELAW | WHITELAW |
Leader H/Commons | STEVAS | * PYM |
Leader H/Lords | SOAMES | SOAMES |
Ld Chllr | HAILSHAM | HAILSHAM |
Ld President | SOAMES | SOAMES |
Ld Privy Seal | GILMOUR | GILMOUR |
Chllr of the Duchy | STEVAS | * PYM |
Agriculture | WALKER | WALKER |
Defence | PYM | * NOTT |
Education | CARLISLE | CARLISLE |
Employment | PRIOR | PRIOR |
Energy | HOWELL | HOWELL |
Environment | HESELTINE | HESELTINE |
DHSS | JENKIN | JENKIN |
Industry | JOSEPH | JOSEPH |
Northern Ireland | ATKINS | ATKINS |
Paymaster-General | MAUDE | * PYM |
Scotland | YOUNGER | YOUNGER |
Trade | NOTT | * BIFFEN |
Transport | (non-cabinet) | * FOWLER |
Without portfolio | - | - |
Wales | EDWARDS | EDWARDS |
Attorney-General | HAVERS | HAVERS |
SOLICITOR-GENERAL | PERCIVAL | PERCIVAL |
CHMN PARTY | THORNEYCROFT | THORNEYCROFT |
CHIEF WHIP | JOPLING | JOPLING |
CHMN 1922 CTTEE | DU CANN | DU CANN |
| September 1981 – April 1982 | April 1982 – January 1983 |
PM | MRS THATCHER | MRS THATCHER |
Chllr Exchequer | HOWE | HOWE |
Chief Secretary | BRITTAN | BRITTAN |
Foreign Secretary | CARRINGTON | * PYM |
Home Secretary | WHITELAW | WHITELAW |
Leader H/Commons | PYM | * BIFFEN |
Leader H/Lords | LADY YOUNG | LADY YOUNG |
Ld Chllr | HAILSHAM | HAILSHAM |
Ld President | * PYM | * BIFFEN |
Ld Privy Seal | * ATKINS | * LADY YOUNG |
Chllr of the Duchy | * PYM | * PARKINSON |
Agriculture | WALKER | WALKER |
Defence | NOTT | NOTT |
Education | * JOSEPH | JOSEPH |
Employment | * TEBBIT | TEBBIT |
Energy | * LAWSON | LAWSON |
Environment | HESELTINE | HESELTINE |
DHSS | * FOWLER | FOWLER |
Industry | * JENKIN | JENKIN |
Northern Ireland | * PRIOR | PRIOR |
Paymaster-General | * PARKINSON | PARKINSON |
Scotland | YOUNGER | YOUNGER |
Trade | * BIFFEN | * COCKFIELD |
Transport | HOWELL | HOWELL |
Without portfolio | - | - |
Wales | EDWARDS | EDWARDS |
Attorney-General | HAVERS | HAVERS |
Solicitor-General | PERCIVAL | PERCIVAL |
Chmn Party | * PARKINSON | PARKINSON |
Ch Whip | JOPLING | JOPLING |
Chmn 1922 Cttee | DU CANN | DU CANN |
| January – June 1983 | June – October 1983 |
PM | MRS THATCHER | MRS THATCHER |
Chllr Exchequer | HOWE | * LAWSON |
Chief Secretary | BRITTAN | * REES |
Foreign Secretary | PYM | * HOWE |
Home Secretary | WHITELAW | * BRITTAN |
Leader H/Commons | BIFFEN | BIFFEN |
Leader H/Lords | LADY YOUNG | * WHITELAW |
Ld Chllr | HAILSHAM | HAILSHAM |
Ld President | BIFFEN | * WHITELAW |
Ld Privy Seal | LADY YOUNG | * BIFFEN |
Chllr of the Duchy | PARKINSON | * COCKFIELD |
Agriculture | WALKER | * JOPLING |
Defence | * HESELTINE | HESELTINE |
Education | JOSEPH | JOSEPH |
Employment | TEBBIT | TEBBIT |
Energy | LAWSON | * WALKER |
Environment | HESELTINE | * KING |
DHSS | FOWLER | FOWLER |
Industry/DTI | JENKIN | * PARKINSON |
Northern Ireland | PRIOR | PRIOR |
Paymaster-General | PARKINSON | VACANT |
Scotland | YOUNGER | YOUNGER |
Trade | COCKFIELD | SEE DTI |
Transport | HOWELL | * RIDLEY |
Without portfolio | - | - |
Wales | EDWARDS | EDWARDS |
Attorney-General | HAVERS | HAVERS |
Solicitor-General | PERCIVAL | PERCIVAL |
Chmn Party | PARKINSON | PARKINSON/GUMMER |
ChWhip | JOPLING | WAKEHAM |
Chmn 1922 Cttee | DU CANN | DU CANN |