‘Let us be cool, calm—and elected’: conservative party strategy and political narrative prior to the 1983 general election

ABSTRACT

The 1983 general election saw the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher achieve a decisive victory. The result provided a mandate to continue with a radical economic programme that, two years earlier, was so unpopular it led to the lowest approval ratings of any government or Prime Minister on record. Yet, rather than altering the substance of their programme, the Conservatives had instead sought to improve the public perception of their objectives. The construction and propagation of a compelling political ‘narrative’ played a key role in this. This article evaluates the construction of this Conservative strategy.

KEYWORDS:

• Conservative
• party
• narrative
• strategy
• heresthetic
• Thatcher

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to my former supervisor, Dr. Robert Crowcroft, for his time, advice and guidance; all of which he has given generously throughout the process of producing this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

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4. B. Jackson and R. Saunders (eds.,) Making Thatcher’s Britain (Cambridge, 2012), p. 2.

5. Ibid., p. 186.

6. See G. K. Fry, The Politics of the Thatcher Revolution (Basingstoke, 2008); R. Vinen, Thatcher’s Britain: the politics and social upheaval of the Thatcher era (Simon, and Schuster: London; New York, 2009).

7. See T. Bale, The Conservative party from Thatcher to Cameron (Polity, Oxford: 2016).

8. J. Bulpitt, ‘The Discipline of the New Democracy: Mrs Thatcher’s Domestic Statecraft’, Political Studies, 104 (1986), p. 21.

9. Ibid.

10. S. Fielding, ‘“Hell no!” Labour’s 2015 Campaign: The Correct Diagnosis but the Wrong Doctor?’, Parliamentary Affairs, 68 (2015), p.55.

11. J. Turner, ‘A land fit for the Tories to live in: the political ecology of the British Conservative party, 1944–94’, Contemporary European History, 4 (1995), p.191.

12. C. Hay, ‘Chronicles of a Death Foretold: The Winter of Discontent and Construction of the Crisis of British Keynesianism’, Parliamentary Affairs, 63 (2010), p. 464.

13. Ibid., p. 446.

14. R. Saunders, ‘“Crisis? What Crisis?” Thatcherism and the seventies’, in B. Jackson & R. Saunders (eds.,) (2012), p. 25.

15. Ibid., p. 31.

16. See above 12.

17. J. Prior, A Balance of Power (Hamish Hamilton: London, 1986), p. 122.

18. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, British Electoral Facts, 1832–1999 (Aldershot, 2000), pp.89–92.

19. Ibid., p.88.

20. See I. McAllister & R. Rose, The Nationwide Competition for Votes (1984), p.37.; P. Dunleavy and C.T. Husbands, British Democracy at the Crossroads (1985), p. 82–3.; Geoffrey K. Fry, The Politics of the Thatcher Revolution (2008), p.236.

21. C. Moore, Margaret Thatcher, The Authorized Biography Volume Two: Everything She Wants (Allen Lane, 2015), p.xi.

22. W. L. Miller, ‘There Was No Alternative: The British General Election Of 1983‘, Parliamentary Affairs, 37 (1984), p.374.

23. D. Butler & D. Kavanagh, The British General Election of 1983 (London, 1984), p. 269.

24. I. McLean, Rational Choice and British Politics (Oxford, 2001), p. 205 [accessed online, 29/3/2015, http://www.oxfordscholarship.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/view/10.1093/0198295294.001.0001/acprof-9780198295297-chapter-8].

25. R. Vinen, Thatcher’s Britain: the politics and social upheaval of the Thatcher era (2009), p. 299.

26. Ibid., p. 297.

27. Thatcher MSS, R. Millar, ‘letter to MT: At least three parliaments’ worth of work to do’, 10 May 1979 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112244].

28. C. Moore, Margaret Thatcher, The Authorized Biography Volume One: Not For Turning (London, 2013), p. 481.

29. Thatcher MSS, T. Taylor, ‘Letter to MT’, 5 May 1979 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/118911].

30. Thatcher MSS, P. Thorneycroft, ‘note on strategy’, 26 October 1979 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/119238].

31. Thatcher MSS, P. Thorneycroft, ‘Strategy draft paper’, 15 June 1981 [accessed 27/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121277].

32. Ibid.

33. Thatcher MSS, newspaper clipping from The Sunday Express, 27 December 1981 [accessed 11/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121921].

34. A. Hindmoor, New labour at the Centre: Constructing Political Space (Oxford, 2004), p. 2 [accessed online, 4/5/2014, http://www.oxfordscholarship.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/view/10.1093/0199273146.001.0001/acprof-9780199273140-chapter-1].

35. Thatcher MSS, P. Thorneycroft, ‘Strategy for dealing with the Labour Party’, 23 October 1980 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112667].

36. Thatcher MSS, M. Thatcher, ‘MT interview for South Wales Echo’, 31 March 1981 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121382].

37. Ibid.

38. CPA: CRD 4/16/5, C. Mockler memo to A. Howarth, 14 April 1980.

39. Thatcher MSS, D. Wolfson, ‘minute to MT: Brian Walden interview’, 28 January 1981 [accessed 26/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121764].

40. Thatcher MSS, TV interview for London Weekend Television Weekend World [transcript], 1 February 1981 [accessed 8/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/104472].

41. Thatcher MSS, ‘PM’s interview with Bonnie Angelo and Frank Melville of Time magazine’ [transcript], 1s February 1981 [accessed 8/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121915].

42. Thatcher MSS, CRD, ‘minutes of Liberal-Social Democratic Seminar’, 3 March 1981; CPA: CCO 180/7/1/41, ‘Regional pattern of support for Social Democrats’, 24 March 1981; CPA: CRD 4/16/4, D. Nicholson memo to P. Thorneycroft, ‘Social Democrats Quotes’, 30 March 1981.

43. CPA: CRD 4/16/5, ‘Follow up meeting on Liberal/Social Democratic seminar’, 9 April 1981.

44. Ibid.

45. CPA: CRD 4/16/5, ‘How to react to the Social Democrats’ (paper—author unknown), various papers circulated to Howarth, Lilley, Shipley and Britto, 28 June 1981.

46. Thatcher MSS, C. Monckton, ‘minute to Gow: voting intentions’, 17 February 1983 [accessed 27/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131211].

47. LHASC, PLP minutes, ‘future strategy’, 9 February 1983.

48. Thatcher MSS, A. Sherman, ‘The SDP-Liberal Alliance: Towards a Conservative Strategy’, 3 November 1981 [accessed 27/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121368].

49. Ibid.

50. M. Thatcher, The Downing Street Years (HarperCollins: London, 1993), p. 122.

51. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, British Electoral Facts 1832–2012 (2012), p. 153.

52. CPA CRD 4/30/6/1-3, K. Britto memo to A. Howarth, 21 July 1981.

53. CPA CRD 4/16/6, D. Nicholson memo to Conservative party members, 10 August 1981.

54. J. Golding, Hammer of the Left: Defeating Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and Militant in the Battle for the Labour Party (London, 2003), p. 309.

55. Thatcher MSS, M. Thatcher BBC radio 2 interview transcript, Jimmy Young Programme, 9 September 1981 [accessed 27/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/104529].

56. Thatcher MSS, M. Thatcher BBC radio 4 interview transcript, The World This Weekend, 10 January 1982 [accessed 28/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/104771].

57. Ibid.

58. D. Butler & G. Butler (eds.), British Political Facts 1900–1985 (1986), p. 372.

59. CPA: CCO 180/25/1/24, ‘research into differences between the attitudes of electors in different parts of the country’, 19 September 1980.

60. G.K. Fry, The Politics of the Thatcher Revolution (2008), p. 223.

61. L. Beers, ‘Whose Opinion?: changing attitudes towards opinion polling in British politics, 1938–1964’, Twentieth Century British History, 17 (2006), pp. 199–204.

62. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto, ‘Public Opinion Background Note 8‘, 24 March 1980 [accessed 28/5/14, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/119527].

63. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto, ‘Public Opinion Background Note 39‘, 26 October 1980 [accessed 28/4/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/119554].

64. Thatcher MSS, R. Sanderson letter to I. Gow, ‘grassroots opinion in the party’, 31 July 1981 [accessed 28/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121335].

65. See above 8, pp. 35–6.

66. Thatcher MSS, B. Ingham minute to MT, ‘presentation’, 29 September 1980 [accessed 28/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/120021].

67. CPA: CRD 4/30/6/24, ‘Report of the Employment Policy Group, March 1983.

68. Thatcher MSS, ‘Operation fast feedback report’, 20 May 1983 [accessed 28/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131342].

69. J. Lawrence, ‘The culture of elections in modern Britain’, History, 96 (2011), p. 474.

70. J. Lawrence, Electing Our Masters: the hustings in British politics from Hogarth to Blair (Oxford University Press, Oxford: 2009), p. 203.

71. M. Thatcher, The Downing Street Years (1993), p. 7.

72. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto, ‘Public Opinion Background Note 90‘, 16 November 1981 [accessed 29/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121468].

73. Thatcher MSS, CRD, ‘General Election campaign 1983‘, 29 June 1983 [accessed 29/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131087].

74. I. McLean, Rational Choice and British Politics (2001), p. 10.

75. A. J. Taylor, ‘Stanley Baldwin, Heresthetics and the Realignment of British Politics’, British Journal of Political Science, 35 (2005), pp. 430–1.

76. T. Heppell, ‘The conservative leadership of David Cameron: Heresthetics and the realignment of British politics’, British Politics, 8 (2013), p. 264.

77. Ibid.

78. G. Stewart, Bang! A History of Britain in the 1980s (Atlantic Books: London, 2014), p. 36.

79. J. Prior, A Balance of Power (1986), p. 152.

80. Conservative party manifesto, 1979 [accessed 22/7/2014, http://www.conservative-party.net/manifestos/1979/1979-conservative-manifesto.shtml].

81. C. Hay, The Chronicles of a Death Foretold: The Winter of Discontent and Construction of the Crisis of British Keynesianism’, Parliamentary Affairs, 63 (2010), p. 464.

82. Thatcher MSS, ‘The State of Public Opinion mid-March’, 18 March 1980 [accessed 5/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121420].

83. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto’s Public Opinion Background Notes, 1980–1983 [accessed 5/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/results.asp?dt=5&btn=Search&w=opinion+polls&searchtype=and&t=0&starty=1980&startm=1&startd=1&endy=1983&endm=6&endd=9&onedayy=&onedaym=&onedayd=].

84. Labour History and Study Centre, Michael Foot papers, ‘Political Strategy: report no.3’, 19 March 1983.

85. L. Beers, ‘Whose Opinion?: changing attitudes towards opinion polling in British politics, 1938–1964’, Twentieth Century British History, 17 (2006), p.197.

86. Thatcher MSS, ‘Conference speech’, 30 September 1980 [accessed 5/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112635].

87. Thatcher MSS, ‘Transcript of interview with Patrick Sergeant of the Daily Mail’, 3 November 1980 [accessed 5/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/120027].

88. Thatcher MSS, ‘Draft conference speech’, 16 October 1981 [accessed 5/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121755].

89. Thatcher MSS, P. Thorneycroft, ‘General Election’, 1 July 1979 [accessed 31/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131340]; CPA: CCO 180/25/1/24, ‘Research into differences between the attitudes of electors in different parts of the country’, 19 September 1980.

90. See above 59., ‘Research into differences between the attitudes of electors in different parts of the country’, 19 September 1980.

91. Thatcher MSS, ‘Party Political Broadcast 2^nd revised draft’, 8 July 1981 [accessed 3/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121344].

92. Thatcher MSS, ‘Harris Research Centre report’, 7 May 1983 [accessed 3/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131501].

93. Thatcher MSS, ‘Prime Ministerial Tours: Central Office thoughts on possible approaches to campaigning and presentational style’, 12 November 1982 [accessed 7/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131359].

94. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto, ‘First State of Battle Survey—General Election 1983‘, 14 May 1983 [accessed 3/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131407].

95. Thatcher MSS, K. Britto, ‘Public Opinion Background Notes 156/157’, 19 April 1983 [accessed 3/6/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131518].

96. See above 74, 227.

97. Thatcher MSS, ‘Conference speech’, 30 September 1980 [accessed 31/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112635].

98. A. J. Taylor, ‘Stanley Baldwin, Heresthetics and the Realignment of British Politics’, British Journal of Political Science, 35 (2005), p.439.

99. CPA: CRD 4/30//6/20, K. Britto to A. Howarth, ‘marginal seats’, 14 December 1981.

100. M. Thatcher note on Gow minute, ‘suggested slogans for party conference’, 24 September 1982 [accessed 29/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/123147].

101. CPA: CRD 4/30/6/33, A. Jay, ‘PPBs discussion document’, 5 November 1981.

102. Thatcher MSS, ‘Text of Conservative PPB’, 9 December 1981 [accessed 29/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/121358].

103. R. Saunders, ‘“Crisis? What Crisis?” Thatcherism and the seventies’ in B. Jackson & R. Saunders (eds.,) (2012), p.25.

104. See above 8, 36.

105. CPA: CCO 180/26/1/18, ‘Attitudes to PPBs’, June 1980; K. Britto, ‘reactions to the PPB on Wednesday’, 18 June 1980.

106. LHASC, general election boxes, ‘Conservative Party broadcast’, 26 May 1983.

107. R. Saunders ‘“Crisis? What Crisis?” Thatcherism and the seventies’ in B. Jackson & R. Saunders (eds.,) (2012), p. 32.

108. Campbell, Holmes and Jones, ‘The Thatcher Year’, Contemporary Record (1987), p. 17.

109. Conservative party manifesto, 1983 [accessed 21/7/2014, http://www.conservative-party.net/manifestos/1983/1983-conservative-manifesto.shtml].

110. See above 73.

111. LHASC, Michael Foot papers, ‘MORI poll presentation’, 26 May 1983.

112. Thatcher MSS, R. Millar letter to M. Thatcher, 15 June 1983, [accessed 29/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131026].

113. J. Golding, Hammer of the Left: Defeating Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and Militant in the Battle for the Labour party (2003), p. 305.

114. K. O. Morgan, Michael Foot: A Life (London, 2007), p. 482.

115. Thatcher MSS, ‘TV interview for BBC’, 8 June 1983 [accessed 31/5/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/105168].

116. See above 74, 226.

117. Thatcher MSS, M. Thatcher letter to all Conservative Candidates, 18 May 1983 [accessed 8/7/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131420].

118. CPA, CCO 180/128/1: Republican National Committee, ‘Report on the British general election and its implications for the Republicans in 1984‘, 20 June 1983.

119. See above 117.

120. See above 98, 455.

121. LHASC, election volumes, ‘General Election of 1983‘, D. Healey, N. D.

122. Thatcher MSS, K.Britto minute, 5 June 1983 [accessed 8/7/2014, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/131451].

123. J. Lawrence, ‘The culture of elections in modern Britain’ (2011), p. 474.

124. T. Benn, The End of an Era: Diaries 1980–1990 (London, 1994), p. 257.

125. L. Beers, ‘Thatcher and the women’s vote’, in B. Jackson & R. Saunders (eds.,) (2012), p. 131.

126. Ibid., pp.113–120.

127. LHASC, general election boxes, R. Worcester, ‘Campaign polling presentations May-June 1983: red book’, 8 July 1983.

128. The files at the Conservative party archive were not organised into subject areas; the specific file codes can be found in the footnotes within the text.

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Sally Abernethy

Sally Abernethy is a researcher at Ipsos MORI, a global market and opinion research company. Sally graduated from Edinburgh University with a MA degree in History and an MSc by research.