Contents

Intro  EIGHTIES: ‘This is the dawning of a new era’

Part One  PUTTING OUT FIRE WITH GASOLINE 1979–83

1  The First Thatcher Government: ‘Just like starting over’

2  Comrades: ‘Dog eat dog’

3  Alternatives: ‘A thousand people just like me’

4  Resistance: ‘We’re living in violent times’

5  War: ‘People are stupid’

Part Two  WHEN THE WIND BLOWS 1983–87

6  The Second Thatcher Government: ‘The edge of heaven’

7  Identities: ‘Standing on their own two feet’

8  Enemies: ‘When two tribes go to war’

9  Moralities: ‘I don’t want to change the world’

10  Boom: ‘Let’s make lots of money’

Part Three  UNDER THE GOD 1987–90

11  The Third Thatcher Government: ‘The only way is up’

12  Media: ‘When will I see my picture in the paper?’

13  Establishment: ‘I will be your preacher teacher’

14  Globalization: ‘Walls come tumbling down’

15  Fall: ‘There she goes’

Outro  AFTERMATH: ‘You’re history’

References

Bibliography

Credits

Acknowledgements

Index

A Classless Society – Britain in the 1990s

About the author

Copyright