Past Present Future Now & Then with Robert Saunders: Thatcher@100 – Her Legacy
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Nov 30, 2025 
Historian Robert Saunders, an expert in modern British political history, joins the discussion on Margaret Thatcher's enduring legacy. They explore the complex nature of Thatcherism today, debating whether political successors have truly inherited her mantle. Saunders challenges myths surrounding Thatcher's leadership style, revealing her pragmatic side. The conversation also touches on the shifting Conservative Party dynamics post-1990 and discusses the impact of crises like Brexit and COVID on Thatcher's political image, making this a thought-provoking analysis of her lasting influence.
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Fall That Fractured The Party
- Thatcher's resignation was rapid and traumatic, producing a lasting myth of betrayal that haunted the Conservative Party.
- Robert Saunders argues that removing her in 1990 created long-term neuroses and loss of party coherence.
New Labour Isn't Just Thatcherism Continued
- New Labour shared some 1980s economic assumptions but diverged sharply on social and constitutional policies.
- Saunders warns against assuming Tony Blair simply continued Thatcherism; many Thatcher policies were later reversed or expanded.
Socialism Was The Party's Magnetic Charge
- The Cold War gave the Conservative Party a unifying enemy that masked internal differences.
- Once socialism ceased to be the organising threat, the party's coalitional magnet weakened and factions scattered.