When preparing the second edition of this book almost a decade ago, I noted that emphases and judgements about contemporary or near-contemporary figures are liable to alter over comparatively short periods of time. I have, therefore, especially welcomed the opportunity to produce this third edition, not because Margaret Thatcher (who is at the time of writing in poor health) has been politically active during the last decade but because the extent of her overall influence can now be seen in clearer perspective. I endorse the view I took in 2004 that Thatcher was, by some distance, Britain's most influential prime minister in the second half of the twentieth century. I am now in a stronger position to judge her abiding influence in the early part of the twenty-first, both over her successors and internationally. Although even the most powerful political figures cannot determine the course of their country by themselves, a rare few can claim to have contributed to decisive changes that alter the way the world works. It is now clear that, for good or ill, Margaret Thatcher was one of these. To appropriate the title of this series, I think that few now doubt that she has been one of the makers of the contemporary world.
In order to offer a more rounded picture of Thatcher's impact, I have expanded my observations on what ‘Thatcherism’ was, including her contribution to the practical outworking of influential theories of economic ‘neo-liberalism’. The passage of time has also enabled me to offer a more developed view of Thatcher's influence during the ministry of her immediate successor, John Major. I can now attempt at least a preliminary assessment of the influence both of Thatcher and Thatcherism on how ‘New Labour’ came to power and on the principles by which it governed. Readers familiar with earlier editions will notice and, I hope appreciate, the greater space given here to discussing Thatcher's international influence. I also include a chapter that attempts to discuss some themes that need consideration in offering interpretations of the significance of Thatcherism.
Being asked to produce a fresh edition of a well-used book is both a privilege and an opportunity. Since I worked on the second edition, a considerable number of new studies have appeared both of Thatcher herself and of the impact of Thatcherism. I have listed what seem to me the most significant of these in the revised Guide to Further Reading and I have also tried to discuss some of their main lines of argument in this revised text. In consequence of this, and also of my own changing perceptions, the new text differs substantially from that of the second edition. I hope that readers will conclude that this revised edition does not abuse either the privilege or the opportunity that it has given me of critical engagement both with Thatcher and Thatcherism.
Eric Evans
Lancaster, August 2012