In an interview with The Spectator this week, Elizabeth Truss, the new education minister who proudly describes herself as a ‘bit of a Thatcherite’, offers an interesting take on the question

What would Thatcher do if she was in power now?

James Forsyth

It is testament to Margaret Thatcher’s remarkable influence on British politics that 33 years after she won her first general election victory she still has such a hold on our political discourse. One of the things that the Tory party needs to do is understand both why Thatcher was so successful and how she changed Britain. In an interview with The Spectator this week (1) , Elizabeth Truss, the new education minister who proudly describes herself as a ‘bit of a Thatcherite’, offers an interesting take on the question.

Truss argues that ‘what Mrs Thatcher did in the 80s was unleash a lot of forces by things like freeing up credit; getting people more involved in ownership of businesses, shareholding; enabling people to make and earn money; and keep more of their own money. All of those things created a more socially mobile and socially liberal society. Then what had happened by the mid-90s is the Conservatives were out of step with the social feelings of the country so when Blair came in and introduced things like civil partnerships actually the British people were ready for that. But we hadn’t fully realised, as a party, that change in society that, in fact, we had unleashed.’

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(1)  Liz Truss doesn’t want to be Prime Minister. Much - 

Meet the minister who wants to blow away the obstacles to success in modern Britain

Imterview here:

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Read more: blogs.spectator.co.uk