Anne Jenkin: The fascinating story of how, 50 years ago today, Thatcher became Conservative leader

Baroness Jenkin is a Conservative peer and co-founder of Women2Win. The photo of the author and Baroness Thatcher is from 1987

A country in decline, a weak Labour Government in hock to the Unions, the pound under pressure, a bold, principled and underestimated woman leading the Conservative Party. No, not the political scene today, but the story of the 1975 Conservative Leadership election.

I have been immersed in that world as we celebrate 50 years since Margaret Thatcher’s unexpected victory on 11^th February 1975, becoming the first woman to lead our (or any major UK political) Party. Not only does it show us a path back to victory and that history often repeats itself, but it is a fascinating story in itself.

Which is why I have been helping bring to light the untold stories of that time, both at an event and in new documentary. On 24^th February, Women2Win is co-hosting an event with the Conservative Women’s Organisation to hear some of those as yet untold stories for the first time.

We will hear from those who knew her best from that time: Michael Portillo who joined the Conservative Research Department after her election as Leader and briefed her during the ’79 campaign, Lord (Stephen) Sherbourne CBE later her political secretary in No 10, Alison Wakeham (nee Ward) MBE, former constituency and personal secretary from 1971and Amanda Ponsonby (nee Colvin) MBE, her secretary throughout most of the Downing Street years.

The event also includes an exclusive screening of a new documentary covering the events of October 1974 –11th February 1975, which includes contributions from Lord Michael Heseltine, Lord Kenneth Clarke and Lord Norman Lamont and many others who were involved at the time. Not to be missed.

The outcome of the leadership election is well known, but the story behind it is not. The intriguing story of Thatcher’s unexpected rise combines many of her well-known traits: bravery, passion, nous, and necessary amount of good fortune. An important part of the story includes the miscalculations of many Conservative MPs, who were naturally expecting male, establishment candidates such as Willie Whitelaw or Geoffrey Howe to become leader. Not to mention Mrs Thatcher’s political rivalry with her predecessor, incumbent leader Edward Heath.

The story beings in October 74, following the second election defeat for the Conservatives in a year. At the time, there was no mechanism for MPs to challenge their leader and it was clear that Heath would not go voluntarily. Indeed, he made that clear. A successor was sought despite there being no immediate vacancy.

Likely contenders such as Keith Joseph, known as the brains of the Parliamentary Party and Edward DuCann, Chair of the 22 Committee began to jostle. Joseph would go on to rule himself out with an uncharacteristically ill-judged speech to Edgbaston Conservatives and DuCann, whilst popular with some MPs, never formally put himself forward before finally deciding not to in January for ‘family reasons’.

Although she didn’t formally announce her candidature until January 75, by November she had decided that if no other change came forward she would stand. With only a modest amount of support within the Party she was not expecting to win. Even her husband Dennis warned her that “you haven’t a hope. Heath will murder you.”

Taking the Finance Bill through Parliament that winter gave Mrs Thatcher the opportunity to showcase the skills that would go on to make her a formidable leader and Prime Minister. Her confirmation as a candidate bought increased media scrutiny, she would shrewdly use to her advantage to simultaneously evidence her sound Conservative values and refreshing break from the traditional Tory stereotypes. Following a magazine interview which had been conducted in the summer, but published after the October election, she was accused of advising stockpiling. She  retorted she was acting like a ‘prudent housewife’, later inviting journalists to visit her well stocked larder (one cupboard) at home. The domestic setting and unusual manoeuvre impressed the Party and public.

The pivotal turn in her campaign would be when Airey Neave become her Campaign Manager. By this time, the competition was in full swing and Neave using his masterful skill, built great momentum for Thatcher ahead of the first ballot on February 4^th. She performed well in debates and set out a clear vision for the Party and country in her Daily Telegraph article – ‘My kind of Tory Party’

Despite Hugh Fraser’s late entry into the first ballot, It was clearly a two-horse race between Thatcher and Heath.  However, two-horse would have been a generous description of what was expected to be an overwhelming, easy victory for Heath. Instead, to an awed silence of usually rowdy MPs, a Thatcher victory was declared. 130 to 119. Heath resigned at once and his 10 year reign as Conservative Leader was at an end.

Focus now turned to who could do what Heath could not- defeat the once outsider, now favourite, Margaret Thatcher. In came Willie Whitelaw and Geoffrey Howe, (as well as Jim Prior and John Peyton) but none of those establishment figures could triumph against this unexpected, female powerhouse. She robustly beat them both at the second ballot.

Thatcherism was well and truly the future. And the rest is history. But history always worth revisiting, particularly now.

Firstly, it is incumbent on us all that the legacy of Mrs Thatcher, all she stood for and all she achieved, is not exclusively framed by the left whose ideology  and policies she did so much to save the country from. Personal memories of her will fade but her legacy is worth fighting for.

That legacy includes, but is certainly not limited to, what it meant for women. After her death there were endless torturous articles about Thatcher’s ‘complicated’ relationship with feminism. Those with the luxury of debating how feminist her leadership was, forget just how radical and unfathomable it had been at the time. Contemporary interviewees still recall how inconceivable her election was. Nobody thought it was possible until Mrs Thatcher did it. Later on I had the good fortune to attend several events with her and was struck by the number senior women in business who told her they wouldn’t be where they were today without her showing them it was possible. I was lucky enough to have as a role model my grandmother, the 33^rd ever woman MP, but I  find even today that many of the women interested in entering Parliament and supported by Women2Win are motivated  and energised by Mrs Thatcher’s example.

Secondly, with such strong parallels to today, it is important to remember what actually happened.  The eventual general election victory in 79 was certainly not seen as inevitable at the time. As the documentary will attest, Thatcher’s first few months, and even years, were rocky as she found her feet and the best way to take on the government from the Opposition benches. You don’t need me to tell you what we would have lost if those agitating against her in the early days had had their way.

It’s also important that an absence of policy should not be taken as an absence of ideas or vision. As Giles Dilnot laid out in an excellent recent piece on 29^th January, Thatcher and Keith Joseph, and those advising them at the fledgling Centre for Policy Studies and elsewhere, took their time to develop policies which were relevant for the 1979 general election.

I hope that readers will join me in celebrating this important anniversary of the remarkable events of February 1975; in particular keeping an eye out for the documentary with some fond nostalgia, less fond seventies sexism, and some very modern political lessons.

Tickets are available for the screening of the Thatcher documentary, co-hosted by Women2Win; get them here

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