Downing Street Years - Margaret Thatcher [536]
October 27 First Maze hunger strike began. Ended 18 December.
November 4 USA: Ronald Reagan elected President.
December 8 Anglo-Irish summit in Dublin.
1981
January 5 Norman St John Stevas and Angus Maude left the Government. Francis Pym became Leader of House of Commons, John Nott to Defence, Leon Brittan joined Cabinet as Chief Secretary.
February 10 NCB announced pit closures. Government announced NCB plan withdrawn on 18 February.
March 1 Second IRA hunger strike begun by Bobby Sands. Ended 3 October after 10 deaths; then Chelsea Barracks bomb.
March 10 1981 Budget.
March 26 SDP formed. Alliance formed on 16 June.
March 30 364 economists’ letter criticizing economic policy.
April 11–14 Brixton riots.
May 10 François Mitterrand elected French President.
July 3 Southall riot. Toxteth and Moss Side riots 4–8 July.
July 20 Ottawa G7 summit opened.
July 23 Argument at public spending cabinet.
September 14 Reshuffle: Ian Gilmour, Mark Carlisle and Lord Soames left the Government. Nigel Lawson, Norman Tebbit and Cecil Parkinson joined the Cabinet. Jim Prior appointed to Northern Ireland.
September 30 Melbourne CHOGM opened.
December 13 Poland: Martial law declared.
1982
March 25 Roy Jenkins won Glasgow, Hillhead by-election.
April 2 Argentina invaded Falkland Islands.
April 3 Saturday Commons debate on Falklands. Passage of UN SCR502.
April 5 First naval units left Portsmouth. Lord Carrington and other Foreign Office ministers resigned. Francis Pym became Foreign Secretary, John Biffen Leader HC.
April 25 South Georgia recaptured.
May 2 General Belgrano sunk by HMS Conqueror.
May 4 HMS Sheffield hit by an Exocet.
May 21 British troops landed at San Carlos.
June 5 Versailles G7 summit opened.
June 14 Capture of Port Stanley. Argentinian surrender.
July 20 Hyde Park, then Regent’s Park bombs.
July 26 St Paul’s Thanksgiving Service.
September 17 West Germany: fall of Helmut Schmidt’s Government. Helmut Kohl succeeded him as Chancellor.
September 20 PM began visit to Japan/China/Hong Kong.
1983
January 6 Reshuffle: John Nott resigned. Michael Heseltine to Defence; Tom King to Environment.
March 23 USA: President Reagan announced SDI.
May 28 Williamsburg G7 summit opened.
June g General election.
June 11 New Government formed: Nigel Lawson Chancellor; Leon Brittan Home Secretary; Geoffrey Howe Foreign Secretary; Francis Pym dropped.
October 14 Cecil Parkinson resigned.
October 25 US invasion of Grenada.
November 14 Cruise missiles arrived at Greenham.
December 4 Athens European Council.
December 17 Harrods bomb.
1984
February 9 USSR: death of Andropov. PM attended funeral.
March 8 Miners’ strike began.
June 25 Fontainebleau European Council: budget settlement.
July 10 National dock strike (ended 20 July).
August 24 Second national dock strike (ended 18 September).
October 12 Brighton bomb.
October 25 High Court ordered sequestration of NUM.
October 31 India: Mrs Gandhi assassinated.
November 6 USA: President Reagan re-elected.
November 20 British Telecom flotation.
December 75 Mr and Mrs Gorbachev visited Chequers.
December 19 China: PM signed Hong Kong agreement in Peking.
1985
February 20 PM visited Washington and addressed a joint session of Congress.
March 5 Miners returned to work.
March 11 USSR: Mr Gorbachev new Soviet leader. PM visited Moscow for Chernenko’s funeral.
April 4 PM began eleven-day tour of Far East.
May 2 Bonn G7 summit opened.
September 2 Reshuffle. Peter Rees, Patrick Jenkin and Lord Gowrie left the Government. Norman Tebbit new party chairman. Leon Brittan to DTI. Douglas Hurd to Home Office. Kenneth Clarke, John MacGregor and Kenneth Baker all joined the Cabinet.
September 9 Handsworth riots (continued 10 September). Brixton 28 September.
September 16–19 PM toured Egypt and Jordan.
September 25 Plaza Accord to reduce value of the dollar.
October 6–7 Broadwater Farm riot.
October 16–23 Nassau CHOGM: arguments about South Africa.
October 24 PM and President Reagan addressed