When she was elected in 1979 Britain was in a complete mess - the chaos and apathy helping to make Britain a joke. She restored national pride and the economy and refused to be bullied by Europeans. She gave all council tenants the right to buy their own homes. She gave all workers the right to a free secret ballot before their workplaces were subjected to undemocratic strikes. She took on and defeated a "fascist" union leader (of the miners) who had refused to allow his members to ballot (Scargill had lost a strike ballot the year before the strike and knew he could not allow democracy to have its way in his union). And similarly she also threw fascist invaders out of the Falkland Islands. She was NEVER defeated - she won ALL her general elections. In the end she resigned, despite getting the biggest share of the vote in the final Conservative leadership election. She opposed communism and saw that monstrous evil defeated and the people of Eastern Europe liberated. She almost spoilt her record by imposing the poll tax - unfair and inequitable (note that the tax still exists today, under a left wing government!) But there are many many thousands of Brits whose lives were made better by her policies and leadership. Personally I think she was the best Prime Minister we ever had. May God bless her!

Twentieth century great.

Grand old Dame who has been much abused by hacks on the left. She deserves better. A first rate mind and a very savvy politician.

One of the truly great leaders of the 20th century and a great role model for female leaders: she taught that principles matter, not phoney interest group politics. Isn't it funny that conservative/liberatarian women who demonstrate strenght and confidence are reviled by feminist groups, but unaccomplished victims like Hillary are celebrated. Oh yeah, but then feminists also trash female victims who have been preyed upon by Bill Clinton and his gang (Paula Jones, Juanita Broaderick, KAthleen Willey). I guess their hypocrisy is only one dimensional.

shame she went bonkers at the end

Right wing fundamentalist...and that's saying the least of it!

When the wall fell down and the governments with them, many of the leading politicians were executed or forced into hiding. Upon her resignation, brutal Mrs T should have likewise been shown no mercy..

How on earth can a politician in a democratic country support a dictator such as Pinochet?

Did a very neccessary job for the UK. Undoubtably in social terms her record may be questionable, however she really had to focus on one thing and that was improving the UK economy in structural terms.Many of our lessons should be heeded by Europe, then we could really start to move ahead.

Words fail me. Certainly I cannot cram all her wrings into 250 words. And she got away with it on 40-45% of the vote. It's time for Proportional Representation elections in the UK to stop this ever happening again

Critical to the West's success during the Cold War by maintaining a unified front with the U.S. Dismantled Socialism in Britain.