<Articles>The 1960s and the Rise of Thatcherism

Abstract

Thatcherism is commonly regarded as a project in the economic and political context of the 1970s. The so-called ‘crisis’ of the seventies has been identified as the main factor promoting its upsurge and ultimate hegemony. However, the ‘crisis’ of the seventies was skillfully constructed and overstated by using ideological frames. It is too naïve to accept such conveniently propagated and often historically inaccurate ‘crisis’ at face value. The 1960s, rather than the 1970s, was crucial for the shaping and rise of Thatcherism. Firstly, the affluence and mass consumerism of the decade, together with the cultural revolution, forged a much more individualistic public that tended to be receptive to the Thatcherite vision of popular capitalism. Secondly, the emergence of the permissive society made possible the political ascent of a married female politician from a provincial lower middle-class Methodist family. Last, the spread of moralist reactions to the perceived excess of permissiveness was utilized by Thatcher, who portrayed herself as a defender of traditional values and virtues. Although she often voiced her critical assessment of the sixties, the decade created favourable conditions that could be exploited and capitalized on by her and her allies.