Iron Lady, The (2011) Movie Script
One forty-nine please.
How much is the milk?
Forty-nine pence.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Too much. Much too much butter.
- I like butter.
Milks gone up.
Good grief! Well have to economise.
I suppose we could always sell the car.
Or take in paying guests!
Watch out. Shes on the prowl.
Eat your egg.
Goodness! There you are.
Yes.
Here we are.
I dont understand how it happened,
how could she possibly have got out?
Its very very important -
Please just make it really clear.
Whos on after you?
xxx?
Beautiful day.
Oh, youve made a start.
Carols coming soon,
Ill get some bags.
Anything you want to go to Mark,
Ill bring up a suitcase for it.
No no no no. The grey.
You sure?
Yes.
...Definitely the grey.
Righty ho.
Boss knows best.
Dont let her take my paper away.
Oh, I havent had a chance to look
at that yet, dear.
Sorry.
Atta-girl.
Damn.
Blot it...Blot it..
pardon.
Now look what youve done.
Are they to keep the loonies
out or you in?
Ill be off then.
Wear your scarf.
Theres a chill out there.
Good morning Lady Thatcher.
Are you alright?
How are you feeling?
Im fine, thank you Susie.
Ive just been reading about the bombings.
Yes. Frightful.
Sorry.
These are the books for you to sign.
I brought as many as I could find.
Shall we go through your appointments?
We said wed go through them today.
Yes, of course, dear. Today.
The invitation has come from Downing Street
for the unveiling of your portrait.
Ill put it on the mantelpiece, and theres
an invitation from Lord Armstrong for
lunch on the first Friday of next month.
I said no because youve got a concert
that afternoon but if youd like to...
It looks like a very interesting programme.
What are they playing?
I think they said Rogers and Hammerstein.
Silly man.
He hasnt got his scarf on.
Did someone cover the butter?
Ill go.
Leave it. Margaret-
Good girl.
Tomorrow, no matter what they do,
itll be business as usual.
Two of the small beef, Mr. Roberts.
What is the life blood of any community?
Its business...
Not just big business but small
businesses, like mine.
Margaret! CUPS!
We on this island are strong.
Were self-reliant.
Sometimes
were plain bloody minded.
But we also believe in helping
each other.
And I dont mean by
state hand-outs...
Margaret, do you want to come to
the pictures?
She cant come, shes got to study.
Miss Hoity Toity!
Never run with the crowd, Margaret.
Go your own way.
xxxOpen it then.
Ive got a place at Oxford.
Dont let me down Margaret.
Mother?
My hands are still damp.
Margaret!CUPS!
Theyre talking about you again.
What time is it?
Suns not quite over the yard arm.
Time for tea.
What have you got on your head?
Found it in the cupboard and thought bugger
it, its Friday, why not fancy dress?
You look ridiculous.
Bosslady no like?
No, Denis, Bosslady no like.
Can I suggest you remove the
sticker from the back of your car.
xxx
Well then take the sticker off!
I call that false advertising!
xxx
- I would say keep the change...
but there isnt any change.
Hello June, any news? Ive brought
every bag I could find.
xxx
Hello Ma.
Bloody taxi driver.
Wouldnt take my card.
I said dont have a sticker saying you
take Visa and then insist on cash.
Can you believe it? I was rummaging around
the bottom of my bag. He didnt get a tip.
I didnt know that you were
dropping by today, dear.
Yes, you said yesterday...
You wanted to make a start on Dads things.
The cupboards?
Then I can help you dress.
Youve got Michael and-
Jaqueline...
Coming for dinner tonight.
Of course.
Were having halibut.
Oh God. Isnt it terrible?
They think its Al Quaida -
xxx
Itll be fine. Come on, get your head down,
its ten to three, for Gods sake.
At ten to three this morning
an explosion...
extensively damaged
the Grand Hotel in Brighton
scene of the Conservative
Party conference.
Where the Prime Minister and a
number of her cabinet were staying.
They escaped unhurt -
Five people have died, many others
are injured, some critically.
The IRA have claimed responsibility.
We must release a statement,
offering our condolences.
Im sure theyve already-
We must never, ever, ever give in
to terrorists.
Good moring dear.
Now ma, are we going long or just
below the knee tonight?
Oh, below the knee I should think.
No! Dont move those. I havent
finished sorting them.
I hear you went out today...
You mustnt go out on your own Mummy.
Weve talked about that.
There was no milk.
Call Robert hell get it for you
if Junes not up-
I am not for the knackers yet.
Now take it easy, Margaret.
No one is saying that.
If I cant go out to buy a pint of milk
then what is the world coming to.
Really Carol...
please dont fuss about it.
Youve always been like this,
fuss fuss fuss.
You must find something better
to do with your time.
Its most unattractive in a woman.
When I was your age...
the last thing I wanted to do
was fuss around my mother.
Four down, 9 letters.
Something b something t
something n...
something something somthing...
Refusal to change course-
Obstinate.
What?
Pearls.
Ill wear the pearls.
There they are.
My little twins.
Thank you, dear.
Its nearly all familiar faces, William,
Michael and his lovely wife-
Jacqueline.
And then theres Peter, James R
and James T and that very nice man-
Yes-
we met last year.
Yes I remember-
I think hes bringing his new lady
friend just to mix it up a bit.
Were rather short on women - but
Im sure well manage-
Ive always preferred the company
of men-
Ma?
Ah, Miss Roberts.
Hoping to be chosen as
our candidate for parliament.
Well I dont like coalitions,
never have...
Start on the outside
and work your way in.
Attlee has his sights set on
the steel industry, you mark my words.
Theyll be nationalizing the
bloody air next.
Yes, hold your breath, sir, thats
government property!
So was your father a political
man, too, Miss Roberts?
Oh, yes, to his core. And Mayor of
Grantham.
And a grocer as well!
Yes.
And did you help, in the... shop?
- Oh, yes. It was a family business.
A very good starting point for the
political life, Im sure.
That and a degree from Oxford.
Whisky.
What I do think is that a man should be
encouraged to stand on his own two feet.
Yes we help people of course we help people.
But for those that can do...
they must just get up and do.
And if somethings wrong,
they shouldnt just whine about it...
they should get in there and DO
something about it, change things.
With all due respect, Miss Roberts,
what may have served in Grantham-
Can serve very well for the people
of Dartford too.
Really?
I know much more than those who
have never lived on a limited income.
Just like the man or woman on the street,
when I am short one week...
I have to make economies the next.
Nothing like a slice of fiscal
responsibility.
A man might call it fiscal responsibility,
a woman might call it good housekeeping.
Im not sure...
a home economics lesson
is quite what...
the Dartford constituents need.
They see industry being nationalized...
the unions on the up,
the pound on the slide...
whoever can sort that lot out,
hes my man.
Or woman?
Ladies shall we?
Miss Roberts, do join the ladies.
Well. Thats told us!
So, Margaret, how would you have
dealt with this if youd been Prime Minister?
Where?
The bombings, mummy. Today?
We were just talking about them?
No, uhm, yes -
we have always lived alongside evil.
But it has never been so patient,
so avid for carnage, so eager to
carry innocents with it into oblivion.
xxxSo, would you -
Western civilization must root out
this evil, wherever it hides,
or she risks defeat at the hands
of global terror in a nuclear age.
Unimaginable!
The Prime Minister gave a very
good statement I thought.
Yes. Clever man. Quite a smoothie.
xxxYou dont mind if I sit down...
I heard you speak at conference
in Brighton in 1984
just after the IRA bombed
the Grand Hotel.
You were remarkable.
I hope you appreciate what an inspiration
you have been for women like myself.
It used to be about trying
to do something.
Now its about trying to be someone.
Well anyway, I...thank you.
Good night, Lady Th...
- Good night to you.
OK...hold on to me...
Can you do the clasp, I cant quite -
Thank you.
Youve got an eyelash.
Make a wish.
I spoke to Doctor Michael today-
He is very good and very expensive-
...I know youre not due to see
him for another month
but Ive spoken to him and he can fit
you in tomorrow.
Just for a check up.
Ma please-
What does Mark think about it?
Mark?
Yes. Tell him to come up. I want
to talk to him about it.
Marks with Sarah and the
children.
Well tell him to come up
and see me after hes...
kissed them good night,
would you Carol darling?
Hes not here Mummy.
Mark lives in South Africa...
you are not Prime Minister anymore...
and Dad is...
Dad is dead-
You look exhausted, dear.
You really must try to get some sleep.
Taxis'll be few and far
between at this hour...
Righty-ho. Night night Ma.
Sleep well.
Good night, dear.
Twenty-four-year-old Miss Margaret Roberts
lost her bid to win a seat in Parliament today,
but she has put new life into the Dartford
Conservative Association.
Winning candidate Mr Dodds
had better watch out,
this bright young woman
is on his tail.
Eat!
Disaster.
Hang on...Hang on...
xxx
You shaved thousands off their majority.
You did splendidly.
Not splendidly enough.
Ah I see. Self pity.
No one is saying you dont need
a safe seat.
You deserve a safe seat.
But it does not come unless
you learn to play the game a little.
What game?
You are a grocers daughter-
And proud of being.
- in their eyes.
A single grocers daughter.
But if you were to become the wife
of a moderately successful businessman-
Youd get to parliament,
and Id get to be
the happiest man in...
in wherever they select you.
Margaret, will you marry me?
Well?
Yes. Yes!
What?
I love you so much but...
I will never be one of those women Denis-
who stays silent and pretty on the arm
of her husband.
Or remote and alone in the kitchen
doing the washing up for that matter.
Well get a help for that.
- No...
ones life must matter, Denis.
Beyond the cooking and
the cleaning and the children,
ones life must mean more than that-
I cannot die washing up a tea cup.
I mean it Denis,
say you understand.
Thats why I want to marry you, my dear.
Now eat.
There they are, my little twins.
Cornwall, wasnt it?
Bloody hell...
Look at em, little imps.
You never really got golf, did you?
You look happy.
Yes, I do, dont I?
Youre drinking too much.
Whatcha doing?
Not like you. Looking back.
Dont want to dig around too deep,
M. Dont know what you might find.
You can rewind it, but you cant
change it.
They grow up so fast.
Mr Eric Deakins,
Labour...
Mr xxxx lib...
Mrs Marg.. Thatcher
con... 29,697
xxx
Mrs Marg.. Thatcher.
xxx... Please.
xxx
Mrs Thatcher!
Mrs Thatcher! Airey Neave.
Welcome to the madhouse. Follow me.
Welcome... xxx
Order
The Right Honourable Lady the
Secretary of State for Education.
The right honourable gentleman knows
that we have no choice but to shut down the schools!
Because...
his union paymasters have called a
strike deliberately to cripple our economy.
Teachers cannot teach when there is no
heating, no lighting in their classrooms.
And I ask the honourable gentleman,
whose fault is that?
Me thinks the Right Honourable
lady doth screech to much.
If she wants us to take her seriously
she must learn to calm down!
If the right honorable gentleman could
perhaps attend more closely to...
What I am saying,
rather than HOW I am saying it,
he may receive a valuable
education in spite of himself!
Why has this Conservative
government failed?
Why has it forced so many
in the public sector into
taking strike action
to save their own jobs?
Minister...
the breakdown of essential public
services in transport, electricity...
sanitation is not the fault
of the trades unions...
but of this Conservative government
in which you so shamefully serve!
So these power cuts will continue
unless we can reach a compromise.
The miners are asking for
a 35% increase in wages.
Obviously we cant go
anywhere near that.
The unions are not our enemies
and never have been.
We want- and have always wanted
the broadest consensus
Im sure we are all in agreement
that we must do nothing...
for the moment that will further
inflame the current situation.
Hear hear, Prime Minister.
- the fact of the matter is,
its absolutely crucial...
that we are seen by the public
to be acting as conciliators...
and not aggressors.
- Yes.
Yes, Education Secretary.
Yes, Prime Minister.
With the Miners leader calling
today for the army to mutiny...
in support of the strikes, this seems
the wrong time for conciliation.
Be patient. Theyll come back
on in a minute.
xxx
Thank you, Margaret.
Your thoughts are duly noted.
We on this island are strong.
Were self-reliant. Napoleon
called us a nation of shopkeepers.
He meant it as an insult
but to me its a compliment.
Thats why he couldnt beat us,
and thats why Hitler cant beat us.
We Conservatives believe in giving people
the freedom and opportunity to...
fulfil their own potential,
especially the young.
Theres no good in pretending
were all equal...
were not all the same, never
have been, never will be.
We should encourage our children to
aspire to achieve more than we have...
for our children today will
be the leaders of tomorrow.
Its 1974 and youd think
it was WWII.
Blackouts, no petrol.
Its a mess.
Heath should resign now and make way
for someone whos not afraid to tackle the unions.
I swear, its all gone completely
out of my head.
My driving instructor thinks I should pass
but I feel as if Ive hardly had any lessons.
Ridiculous isnt it?
Maybe third time lucky.
Right.
The only thing you should remember is
that everyone else is either reckless or inept.
And often both.
One must be brave if one is to
take the wheel-
Right-o.
Move over... Move to your right a
little bit...
But if I move to the right arent
I on the wrong side of the road?
Well hes in the way!
- To the right. Move to the right!
So sorry! Terribly sorry!
Hey, look at me, driving!
Thanks Ma, that was terrific! I
really feel Ive got a handle on it now.
You should have seen us, Pa.
Have you been trying to make
breakfast? For Goodness sake, Denis!
I can boil a bloody egg.
Mummy took me for a test drive -
We went absolutely everywhere.
All over the place -
Ive decided. Im going to run.
What for?
Im going to run for Leader of the Party.
Silly me!
- Good luck!
All the time I thought I was having a driving lesson,
it was all about my mother, just for a change!
Whats she on about?
Its her driving test this morning!
- Oh, right. Of course.
Are you saying you want to be
Prime Minister?
What Im saying is that someone
must force the point,
say the unsayable. None of these
men have the guts.
The Prime Minister has been very
loyal to you, MT.
But hes weak, and hes
weakened the party.
One must know when to go.
Youre shaking.
Let... xxx
- I can do it!
Goodness me!
What is the matter
with everyone this morning?
Ive told you what the matter is.
The business is a bit rocky at the moment
and the Doctor thinks I need a rest.
And do you need a rest?
We both know...
that its highly unlikely that I
would ever be elected leader,
But I will run. I will run.
Just to nip at their heels and make...
them reaffirm the principles on which
the Conservative Party must stand.
Theres so much to do.
Youre insufferable, Margaret,
do you know that?
Denis, you married someone who is committed
to public service, you knew that.
And it is my duty...
- Dont call it duty.
Its ambition which has got
you this far. Ambition.
And the rest of us, me, the children,
we can all go to hell!
Dont worry about me,
Ill be fine!
Where did you go?
South Africa.
- Yes.Yes.
How many days passed before
you realized I was gone?
Probably had to ask the cleaning
woman where I was.
When did I lose track of everyone?
Too busy climbing the greasy pole MT.
Mrs Thatcher I understand you
recently visited the United States of America.
What was it you took away from that visit
which may be of value here in Great Britain?
Oh thats rather easy
to answer, actually.
They are unafraid of success.
We in Great Britain and in Europe
are formed mainly by our history.
They on the other hand are
formed by their philosophy.
Not by what has been,
but by what can be.
Oh, we have a great deal that we
can learn from them, yes. Oh yes!
For a start, that hat
has got to go.
And the pearls.
In fact I think all hats may have to go.
You look and sound like...
a privileged Conservative wife
and weve already got her vote.
Youve got lovely hair...
but we need to do something with it
to make it more, Important.
Yes. Give it more impact.
But the main thing is your voice.
Its too high. It has no authority.
Me thinks the Lady doth screech too much
People dont want to be harangued
by a woman or hectored.
Persuaded yes.
That oh yes...
at the end of the interview,
thats authoritative,
thats the voice of a leader.
Its all very well to talk about
changing my voice, Mr Reece,
but for some of my colleagues to
imagine me as their leader...
would be like imagining,
I dont know, being led into
battle by their chambermaid.
Its my background, and my sex.
No matter how Ive tried,
and I have tried...
to fit in, xxx
I will never be truly one of them.
If I may say so - I think thats
your trump card.
Youre flying in the face of everything
the Tories have been thus far.
Its really very exciting.
One simply has to maximise
your appeal...
bring out all your qualities...
and make you look, and sound,
like the leader that you could be.
Youve got it in you to go the
whole distance.
Absolutely.
Prime Minister?!
Oh no. Oh no no no. In Britain?
There will be no female Prime Minister
here, not in my lifetime.
No.
And I told Airey, I dont expect
to win the leadership, but I...
am going to run.
Just to shake up the party.
Respectfully, Margaret,
I disagree.
If you want to change this party,
lead it. If you want to change
the country, lead it.
What were talking about here
today is surface. Whats crucial...
is that you hold your course, and
stay true to who you are.
Never be anything other
than yourself.
Leave us to do the rest.
Gentlemen, I am in your hands.
I may be persuaded to
surrender the hat.
But the pearls were a gift from my
husband on the birth of our twins...
and they are absolutely
non-negotiable.
Good, I think we can loose
the handbag, Mrs Thatcher.
Hands down the sides...
And...bring it down.
Because this isnt really about
the voice, its about belief...
A nice deep breath.
xxx hands
If youre calling Mr Thatcher,
how would you do that?
Denis.
Yes, I want more authority,
I want conviction, I want...
Thats right, one more time,
deep breath -
Denis.
Yes MT!
You are the backbone
of our nation!
Small firms like Lovedays Ice Cream.
How are you?
So nice to meet you ladies.
Ill just have a small one,
because Im watching my figure.
Thats for you young man!
I passionately believe its the growth
of small businesses into larger ones...
that is critical for
Britains future.
It has to be something icy on
a stick for Denis.
Thats the only way...
we will produce jobs,
real jobs, jobs that sustain.
The Trade Union Movement was
founded to protect workers.
Now it persecutes them.
It stops them from working.
It is killing jobs and it is bringing
this country to its knees.
I say enough.
Its time to get up.
Its time to go to work.
Its time to put the Great
back into Great Britain!
xxx
Give em hell!
You look magnificent.
Next stop Prime Minister.
Let go.
The leader of the Conservative
Party, Margaret Thatcher!
Good night Margaret.
My moneys on the filly to win!
Oh, thanks Airey. Goodnight.
No. No, no! Airey!
The Irish National Liberation Army
has claimed responsibility for the...
death of Airey Neave, Margaret
Thatchers spokesman on Northern Ireland.
If you want to change the party,
lead it.
If you want to change
the country, lead it.
Youve got it in you to
go the whole distance!
Now, as the test draws near,
I ask your help.
That together we can shake off
the shackles of socialism
and restore to greatness
this country that we love.
And the only way is for the
Conservative Party to win!
xxx
Its Friday the 4th of May,
an historic day for Britain,
a Conservative government led by
Mrs. Thatcher is set to lead -
Mrs Ghandi in India, but never in the West
has there been a woman Prime Minister.
The place that she has secured
in British history, as...
the first woman ever to be invited
to form a government.
The bonus of one of the most
famous addresses in the world,
Number 10 Downing Street.
This is it, steady the buffs old girl.
Good afternoon, Prime Minister.
I should just like to say...
that I take very seriously
the trust...
the British people placed
in me today...
and I will work hard every day to
live up to that responsibility.
And now, I should like to share
with you a prayer...
of St Francis of Assisi:
''Where there is discord may
we bring harmony...
Where there is error may we bring truth...
Where there is doubt
may we bring faith...
Where there is despair
may we bring hope''
Shoulders back, tummies in!
Oh. Thank you, Michael.
Two, one.
Im perfectly healthy. Theres no
need for any of this.
Just let them look under
the bonnet, MT.
Check everything is hunky dory.
Really its becoming quite tiresome.
What is?
- You.
I was on my own for
twenty four years...
before I met you and I can manage
perfectly well without you now.
So will you please go away
and stop bothering me.
Just look straight at me,
straight ahead, thats it.
Are you noticing night sweats?
- No.
Hallucinations?
No.
Sleep?
Yes, I sleep.
Four, five hours a night.
So you wake early?
And I stay up late.
I always have.
We just want to keep abreast
of it thats all.
Yes. Of course.
Grief is a very natural state.
My husband has been gone
for years. Cancer.
Carol says youve decided to let
his things go. Probably a good thing.
Yes. It was my idea.
To Oxfam.
Perfectly good stuff. People can
use these things.
Still it must be a bit disorientating.
You are bound to be feeling.
What?
What am I
bound to be feeling?
People dont think any more.
They feel.
How are you feeling?
Oh I dont feel comfortable
with that
Oh, Im so sorry but we,
the group were feeling...
Dyou know, one of the
great problems of our age...
is that we are governed
by people who care...
more about feelings
than thoughts and ideas.
Now thoughts and ideas.
That interests me.
Ask me what I am thinking-
What are you thinking, Margaret?
Watch your thoughts,
for they become words.
Watch your words,
for they become actions.
Watch your actions,
for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for
they become your character.
And watch your character,
for it becomes your destiny.
What we think, we become.
My father always said that.
And I think I am fine.
But I do so appreciate
your kind concern.
Oh, do please answer that.
It might be someone who needs you.
Ill give Carol a quick
ring, let her...
know were back, then Ill put
your electric blanket on.
Steady, steady, steady!
Damn.
Fore!
What about that medicine man, eh?
Ah. Cold supper.
Standards are slipping Margaret.
Well you really gave it to that
quack didnt you, darling?
Just like the old days!
Hallucinations my eye!
How dare he?
But then you give us all the run
around, dont you?
I know you can hear me, sweetheart,
so theres no use pretending you cant.
Enough. Denis, enough!
Dismissed!
She does it in the end.
Kills him-
I dont know why youre
being so scratchy.
Its not as if youve got anyone
else to talk to.
When the Himalayan peasant meets
the he-bear in his pride -
You know, its a marvel to me that you
can still quote huge chunks of Kipling...
but try remembering the name
of that woman whos...
just made you that
godawful cold collation.
No?
Come on.
You can do it.
Month of the year.
One syllable.
Rhymes with moon.
June.
- June! Bingo.
Knew youd get
there in the end.
When the Himalayan peasant
meets the he-bear in his pride...
He shouts to scare the monster,
who will often turn aside...
but the she-bear thus accosted rends
the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is
more deadly than the male...
If I cant hear you then
I cant see you.
And if I cant see you
then you are not here.
And if you are not here,
I am not going mad.
I will not go mad.
I will not...
I will not go mad.
Baroness Thatcher made an apparently
routine visit to her doctor today.
Although rarely seen in public,
the longest serving Prime Minister
of the twentieth century,
remains a controversial figure.
Almost lovingly dubbed by the
Soviets The Iron Lady,
shes also credited,
with her friend Ronald Reagan,
with a decisive role in the ending
of the Cold War.
Her supporters claim she
transformed the British...
economy and reversed
the countrys post-war decline.
Her detractors blame her
savage public spending...
cuts and sweeping privatization of -
I dont recognize myself.
Am I out of the doghouse yet?
Theyre unveiling that portrait...
of me at Number 10
next month.
The invitations on the mantelpiece.
So...
therell be Churchill,
Lloyd George and me.
Just the three of us.
I said I didnt want any big fuss
but they insisted.
Lovely little article in The Telegraph.
The Woman Who Changed
the Face of History.
Less than two years ago,
the Prime Minister quoted St. Francis...
and talked about bringing faith,
hope and harmony to this country.
Denis?
Can the Right Honourable Lady deny,
that having brought about
the highest level...
of unemployment since 1934-
The biggest fall in total output...
in steel and coal production
in one year since 1931.
And the biggest collapse in
industrial production since 1921.
Order, Order.
Can she also accept that her
free market economics...
designed to create a
growing middle class...
ensures that the rich get richer
and the poor are irrelevant!
Maggie Maggie Maggie! Out Out Out!
Maggie Maggie Maggie! Out Out Out!
Youre supposed to be a mother!
Youre not a mother,
youre a monster!
May we have a word,
Prime Minister?
Yes, but in order to arrive
at the palace on time,
Geoffrey and I are will be walking
out of that door in 15 minutes.
As you can see.
- I know youre running late Margaret...
but we have to address this
situation in light...
of tomorrows blistering
press coverage. Blistering!
The knives are out.
Your draft budgets been leaked,
Geoffrey, they are baying for our blood!
Michael we cant possibly buckle
at the first sign of difficulty.
No one is saying we have to buckle.
- But is this really the time to...
make these spending cuts in the
middle of one of the deepest...
recessions this country
has ever experienced?
We need a plan of action, Margaret.
- Absolutely. A strategy.
We must be armed.
Theres a perception, Margaret...
rightly or wrongly, that we are now
completely out of touch with the country.
Really.
How much is a pack of Lurpak?
Lurpak?
- Butter, Francis.
Forty two pence.
Anchor butter is forty pence.
Flora margarine, still the cheapest,
is thirty eight pence.
I can assure you
I am not out of touch.
Grocers Daughter
What - did you say?
Nothing. Prime Minister, Nothing.
No, no, please.
Dont try to hide you opinions.
Goodness me, Id much rather
you were open and...
straight forward about them
instead of continuously and
damagingly leaking them to the press.
Well?
- Well,
people cant pay their mortgages.
The manufacturing industry is
practically on its knees.
Honest, hard-working, decent
people are losing their homes.
Its terribly shameful.
The point is, Prime Minister, that
we must moderate the pace -
- if were even to have a hope of
winning the next election-
Quite right.
Ah. Worried about our careers, are we?
Gentlemen, if we dont cut
spending we will be bankrupt.
Yes, the medicine is harsh...
but the patient requires
it in order to live.
Shall we withhold the medicine?
No! We are not wrong.
We did not seek election and
win in order to manage...
the decline of a great nation.
The people of this country
chose us...
because they believe we can
restore the health of
the British economy and
we will do just that!
Barring a failure of nerve.
Anything else?
- Prime Minister.
You saved the day
once again, Crawfie,
youre an angel.
You cant close down a discussion
because its not what you wish to hear.
I dont expect everyone just to
sit there and agree with me.
But what kind of leader am I if I
dont try to get my own way-
to do what I know to be right.
- Yes.
But Margaret,
one must be careful of testing
ones colleagues loyalty too far.
We are now one split nation,
with a huge gulf dividing
the employed from the unemployed.
The Thatcher plan is to break
the Trade Union movement.
There must be closures of
uneconomic coal mines,
we seek only
an efficient industry.
The miners are being starved back
to work, the need is desperate!
There are those who would
say hold back,
there are those who
would make us retreat -
But we shall never
give in to them.
We shall never waver,
not for a second,
in our determination to see
this country prosper once again.
A car bomb has exploded outside
Harrods department store, killing...
six people and injuring 71.
Eleven soldiers died today when
two bombs were detonated during...
military parades in Hyde Park
and Regents Park.
Seven horses also
died in the blasts.
The IRA have claimed
responsibility.
And now, it must be
business as usual.
Come on love, get to bed.
I dont know why you do this
to yourself every year,
its a speech at conference,
not the Magna Carta!
Time to call it a day, darling.
Its ten to three, for Gods sake.
I know, Im coming DT. Nearly
there -
Denis!
Denis-
there you are.
Are you alright?
My shoes!
Thats when I thought Id lost you.
Mark?
Hello darling.
No, Im fine.
Im very well, How is...
Sarah?
And the children..?
Oh...
You cant.
Thats a pity.
I was hoping to see you.
Yes...
Oh... No Thats fine.
Really darling.
Thats fine.
Of course...
another time.
Yes... Darling.
Yes... Cant wait... Lovely.
Yes...
xxx Mark?
That was Mark. Not able to come.
Boys always going AWOL.
Well it costs him a great deal
to fly everyone up here.
There you go, making excuses for
him. Now look where its got you.
Did you know Yul Brynner was a
gypsy from Vladivostok?
Yes. He moved to Paris
when he was fourteen.
He played the King of Siam...
and Broadway stages.
What are you doing?
One likes to make an effort.
A snifter?
Youre dead, Denis.
Ah. Well, if Im dead... who are
you talking to? Shall we dance?
The Falkland islands, the British Colony
in the South Atlantic, has fallen.
Argentina claims its marines went ashore
as a spearhead this morning...
to capture key targets,
including the capital, Port Stanley.
Gentlemen, the Argentinian Junta...
which is a fascist gang...
has invaded our sovereign territory.
This cannot be tolerated.
May I make plain my
negotiating position.
I will not negotiate with
criminals or thugs.
The Falkland islands belong to
Britain, and I want them back.
Gentlemen, I need you to tell me
today if that is possible.
Possible... just, Prime Minister.
We can have a Task Force ready
to sail in forty-eight hours.
Forty-eight hours?
But...
We have a very narrow
weather window.
We cant fight in winter down there.
Nobody can.
If we are going,
we have to go now.
Why were the islands left without
any naval protection?
In the last round of Defence cuts
we judged the risk of invasion to be small.
Did we?
And if you remember, Prime Minister,
you agreed that we should reduce the naval
presence in the area to an absolute minimum.
Margaret, the cost
of sending 28,000 men...
and a hundred ships twelve thousand miles,
almost to Argentina, will be absolutely crippling.
I dont think we should be worrying
about money at this point, Geoffrey.
We cant afford to go to war.
We have to go now.
now.
The government has now decided
that a large task force will sail,
as soon as all preparations
are complete.
Prime Minister we do still have three
weeks before our ships reach the islands.
All were saying is that we shouldnt
give up on trying to find a diplomatic solution.
The U.S. Secretary of State has
arrived, Prime Minister.
So you are proposing to go to war
over these Islands.
Theyre thousands of miles away,
a handful of citizens,
politically and economically insignificant,
if youll excuse me.
Just like Hawaii, I imagine.
Im sorry?
Pearl Harbour.
Did America go cap in hand...
and ask Tojo for a peaceful
negotiation of terms?
Did she turn her back
on her own citizens there...
because the islands were thousands
of miles from mainland United States?
No, no, no!
We will stand on principle or
we shall not stand at all.
But Margaret with all due respect
when one has been to war...
With all due respect sir...
I have done battle every
single day of my life...
and many men have
underestimated me before.
This lot seem bound
to do the same...
but they will rue the day.
Now, shall I be mother?
Tea, Al, how do you take your tea?
Black or white?
The Argentinian ship the General
Belgrano and her escorts are pursuing...
course 273 degrees toward
the Argentinian mainland.
We are tracking it with our
submarine HMS Conqueror.
Is this ship a threat?
Both of these ships are carrying
Exocet missiles, Prime Minister.
Just yesterday...
they launched, then aborted an
attack inside the exclusion zone.
There is a risk they could
try it again.
The Belgrano is sailing directly
away from the islands.
Can it really be regarded
as a threat?
Shes been changing course continually.
Theres a strong possibility that theyre attempting
a pincer movement on our carrier group.
I advise that we engage them:
hit the Belgrano as a warning to the others.
Send them all back to port.
Itll play badly internationally.
Well be seen as aggressors.
This will be an escalation, Prime Minister.
If there is to be an escalation,
its better that we start it.
It is steaming away, Prime Minister.
Sink it.
HMS Sheffield, a Type 42 destroyer,
was attacked and hit late this
afternoon by an Argentine missile...
it is seen as a retaliation for the sinking
of the General Belgrano,
in which over 300 Argentinian
sailors died...
xxx. Latest casualty figures
from the Sheffield.
I must write to them.
Prime Minister?
The families.
I must write to them...
xxx
Foreign Secretary...
Ive just been briefed by Admiral Fieldhouse.
He told me bluntly that if the Argentinians
are prepared and willing to risk their aircraft,
they have enough missiles
to cripple most of our fleet.
President Reagan and President Bellaunde
of Peru have
some new proposals
for the peace plan -
The peace plan?
There will be no appeasement.
This is a war.
A war they started and
by God, we will finish it.
I tell you what Im going
to write...
to every single one of these families,
these heartbroken families?
I am going to tell them that no
British soldier will die in vain...
for the Falklands.
Lieutenant Colonel Jones.
Captain Wood. Captain Dench.
I am the only Prime Minister
in the history of our country...
who is also a mother with
a son of my own,
I can imagine your agony,
and your grief.
Prime Minister, we have secured
the beach head -
The Argentinian troops are
demoralized and ill equipped...
The paratroops have
taken Goose Green...
Shortly after dark last night,
our forces xxx Port Stanley...
xxx what the Commander in Chief
has called a brilliant surprise night attack.
Thatcher, bed.
From their new positions, our forces
can see large numbers of Argentine soldiers
retreating and streaming back
into Port Stanley.
Our forces are moving forward
to exploit their success.
Well done, MARGARET.
We congratulate the men and women
of the armed Forces for their skill,
bravery and loyalty to this country.
We were faced with an act of
unprovoked aggression...
and we responded as we have
responded in times past:
with unity, strength and courage,
sure in the knowledge that
though much is sacrificed,
in the end, right will prevail
over wrong.
And I put it to the Honourable
Member opposite...
that this is not a day
for him to carp...
find fault, demand inquiries-
they will happen I can assure
him of that...
for we have nothing
to hide, no...
this is a day to put difference aside,
hold ones head high...
and take pride in being British.
GOTCHA! Well that paid off old girl!
Your ratings soared!
From the most hated Prime Minister
of all time to the nations darling...
The world was at your feet,
and Britain was back in business!
The Berlin Wall has fallen.
The gates have opened!
The police are making no attempt to
stop people as they go through.
I dont agree...
I dont agree in any measure!
But Prime Minister the question of
the European single currency will come up.
I dont think the country
is ready for it yet.
But we cannot bury our heads
in the sand...
A lot of Conservative MPs and
Ministers are saying -
- that there must be a change in
that style of management.
That Mrs Thatcher must listen more,
and on occasion, give in.
The point is, Prime Minister,
I dont think we can sell the idea of
a tax that asks everyone to pay the same.
Our policies may be unpopular, but
they are the right policies.
Prime Minister I just dont think
we can ask the poorest of the poor...
to pay the same amount
of tax as a multi-millionaire.
There it is again!
Why not?
Because -
Because people... on the whole...
think that the tax is manifestly unfair.
Nonsense. Arrant nonsense.
This is a simple proposition.
In order to live in this country,
you must pay for the privilege-
something, anything!
If you pay nothing,
you care nothing.
What do you care where you
throw your rubbish?
Your council estate is a mess,
your town, graffiti, what do you care?
It's not your problem,
it's somebody else's problem-
it's the government's problem!
Your problem...
Some of you,
is that you haven't got
the courage for this fight.
You havent had to fight
hard for anything.
It's all been given to you-
and you feel guilty about it!
Well, may I say, on behalf of all those
who have had to fight their way up,
and who don't feel guilty about it...
we resent those slackers
who take, take, take...
and contribute nothing
to the community!
And I see the same thing,
the same cowardice...
in our fight within
the European Union.
Cowardice.
For the sovereignty of Britain
the integrity of the pound!
Some of you want to make concessions.
I hear some of you...
agree with the latest
French proposals.
Well, why dont you get on
a boat to Calais?
Yes, why don't you put on a beret,
and pay 85% of your income
to the French government!
Right.
What can we realistically hope to achieve
by the end of session, Lord President?
And why have we not made
more progress to date?
What is that?
Is that the timetable?
I haven't seen that.
May I see it?
Here it is, Prime Minister. Of course.
The wording is sloppy here...
and here.
If you say so.
- I do say so.
Its merely a first draft...
This is ridiculous. There are
two Ts in committee!
Two Ts.
This is shameful. Shameful!
I cant even rely on you for
a simple timetable!
Are you unwell?
Yes. You are unwell.
Give me the pencil, give it to me!
If this is the best you can do I
had better send you to hospital,
and I shall do your job as well as
my own and everyone elses.
Gentlemen.
As the Lord President has thosen
to come to cabinet unprepared...
I have to close this meeting.
Good morning!
Cant pay, wont pay!
Geoffrey-
My letter of resignation.
Our differences, Im afraid,
cannot be reconciled.
I have done what I believe to be right
for my party and my country.
The time has come for
others to consider...
their own response to the tragic
conflict of loyalties...
with which I have myself wrestled
for perhaps too long.
Geoffreys speech in the House of
Commons was devastating.
xxx
He was almost inviting someone to
challenge her for leadership of the party.
She behaved appallingly.
I wouldnt have spoken to
my gamekeeper like that.
I dont think she can survive this.
Im here to announce my decision
to put my name forward as leader
of the Conservative party.
I have nothing but admiration for our
Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher,
but I believe...
our party and our country
need a new leader.
Its extraordinary.
I am the Prime Minister.
- The rules of the Conservative Party...
make it possible for Conservative MPs
to depose a sitting Prime Minister.
Sweetie?
xxx
As Conservative MPs gather
in Westminster to discus...
who they will back in the leadership
contest, the Prime Minister said...
she would not be diverted
from critical international affairs.
Tonight in Paris Mrs Thatcher is
among thirty four world leaders
who came together to celebrate
the end of the Cold War and herald...
the start of a peaceful new age
of East/West cooperation.
Theres a general feeling that Mrs Thatcher
is going to win on the first ballot.
Were going to put it to bed tomorrow night,
is how one of her campaign staff puts it.
M, I really think you should come home
and defend yourself old girl.
Heseltine is campaigning ferociously.
I do think my time is best spent seeing
an end to the Cold War...
dont you? After all this time
they know what I stand for.
Will she, or will she not,
be in the job tomorrow?
Margaret, they cant touch you.
Mrs Thatcher has failed to win
enough votes to secure an outright...
win in the leadership contest
and must now decide...
whether to put her name forward
for the second round.
As Mrs Thatcher leaves Paris for London
to make a last ditch attempt...
to pull together support for her
leadership, the ship may have sailed.
Treachery!
We will never win another election
led by that woman.
We need a leader who listens.
This isnt about her,
its about the party.
One must know when to go.
The question is, how does
anyone put it to her?
If you were to stand, I of course
would vote for you Prime Minister-
of course would vote for you Prime
Minister, but I dont think you can win.
The loyalty of my colleagues
cannot be counted upon.
It was the people who put me here -
The loyalty of my colleagues
cannot be counted upon.
- its up to them to tell
me when to go.
Margaret, you cant let them
do this to you.
Please, boss.
Theyll destroy you.
Throw in the towel now, love.
Dont let those bastards
see you humiliated.
You just wont win, darling.
Not this time.
Oh Denis.
I am the Prime Minister.
Order! Order!
The Right Honourable gentleman is afraid!
This is a naked strategy of
closing some coal mines...
and then selling off.
- They believe in striking...
I believe in working!
- This is the woman whos watched...
ten men on hunger strike starve themselves
to death and never flinched!
Despicable.
More homeowners, more
shareholders, more savings -
xxx
I offer my resignation...
after eleven and a half
extraordinary years -
proud to have left Britain in
a much better state...
than when we took office.
Whats this then?
A radio...
How useful.
Steady, MT.
The greatest Prime Minister
since Churchill...
deposed by a bunch
of spineless pygmies!
All those years of taking
the tough decisions...
does any of it matter now?
Its all been turned to mush!
What?
- By these fools!
These lily-livered pinkos!
These inept placators.
- Very good! These vacillators.
Vacillators! Poll takers.
- Popularity seekers.
So busy taking the pulse of the public!
Weak.
Is weak.
Weak...
- All off them. Weak.
Men!
Dont they know if you take
the tough decisions.
Yes, people will hate you today
but theyll thank you for generations.
Or forget you entirely and chuck
you out with the rubbish!
All I wanted was to make a
difference in the world.
And you did, love, you did.
All I wanted was for my children
to grow up well and be happy...
happier than I was certainly.
xxx
Oh, yes.
And I wanted you to
be happy of course.
Were you happy, Denis?
Tell me the truth.
Denis?
Denis?
Heres your bag.
Youre all packed, sorted.
Denis wait.
Where are your shoes?
No, you cant go without shoes!
Not yet.
- Steady.
Yes.
Steady.
Steady the buffs.
- Steady the buffs.
No. Not yet. Denis.
Wait...
I dont, I cant.
I dont want you to go yet.
Denis. Please.
No, no. You are not.
I dont want to be on my own.
Youre going to be fine on your own,
love. You always have been.
Denis!
xxx
Mummy-
My God, Mum.
Are you alright?
Yes.
- What are you doing.
Yes.
Mummy you should have called
for help, silly old sausage.
Have you not even been in
your bed properly?
Youve done all this?
- Yes, all sorted.
Well dont worry about all this.
June and I will crack on with it.
I was just going to get dressed.
Shall I call someone, see if anyone
can come over and do your hair?
Oh. No, you do it.
Oh, let me do that, Margaret.
No, dear, Ill do it.
Carol said you might go to the
House of Lords today?
No no. Im not going anywhere.
Noppes
How much is the milk?
Forty-nine pence.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Too much. Much too much butter.
- I like butter.
Milks gone up.
Good grief! Well have to economise.
I suppose we could always sell the car.
Or take in paying guests!
Watch out. Shes on the prowl.
Eat your egg.
Goodness! There you are.
Yes.
Here we are.
I dont understand how it happened,
how could she possibly have got out?
Its very very important -
Please just make it really clear.
Whos on after you?
xxx?
Beautiful day.
Oh, youve made a start.
Carols coming soon,
Ill get some bags.
Anything you want to go to Mark,
Ill bring up a suitcase for it.
No no no no. The grey.
You sure?
Yes.
...Definitely the grey.
Righty ho.
Boss knows best.
Dont let her take my paper away.
Oh, I havent had a chance to look
at that yet, dear.
Sorry.
Atta-girl.
Damn.
Blot it...Blot it..
pardon.
Now look what youve done.
Are they to keep the loonies
out or you in?
Ill be off then.
Wear your scarf.
Theres a chill out there.
Good morning Lady Thatcher.
Are you alright?
How are you feeling?
Im fine, thank you Susie.
Ive just been reading about the bombings.
Yes. Frightful.
Sorry.
These are the books for you to sign.
I brought as many as I could find.
Shall we go through your appointments?
We said wed go through them today.
Yes, of course, dear. Today.
The invitation has come from Downing Street
for the unveiling of your portrait.
Ill put it on the mantelpiece, and theres
an invitation from Lord Armstrong for
lunch on the first Friday of next month.
I said no because youve got a concert
that afternoon but if youd like to...
It looks like a very interesting programme.
What are they playing?
I think they said Rogers and Hammerstein.
Silly man.
He hasnt got his scarf on.
Did someone cover the butter?
Ill go.
Leave it. Margaret-
Good girl.
Tomorrow, no matter what they do,
itll be business as usual.
Two of the small beef, Mr. Roberts.
What is the life blood of any community?
Its business...
Not just big business but small
businesses, like mine.
Margaret! CUPS!
We on this island are strong.
Were self-reliant.
Sometimes
were plain bloody minded.
But we also believe in helping
each other.
And I dont mean by
state hand-outs...
Margaret, do you want to come to
the pictures?
She cant come, shes got to study.
Miss Hoity Toity!
Never run with the crowd, Margaret.
Go your own way.
xxxOpen it then.
Ive got a place at Oxford.
Dont let me down Margaret.
Mother?
My hands are still damp.
Margaret!CUPS!
Theyre talking about you again.
What time is it?
Suns not quite over the yard arm.
Time for tea.
What have you got on your head?
Found it in the cupboard and thought bugger
it, its Friday, why not fancy dress?
You look ridiculous.
Bosslady no like?
No, Denis, Bosslady no like.
Can I suggest you remove the
sticker from the back of your car.
xxx
Well then take the sticker off!
I call that false advertising!
xxx
- I would say keep the change...
but there isnt any change.
Hello June, any news? Ive brought
every bag I could find.
xxx
Hello Ma.
Bloody taxi driver.
Wouldnt take my card.
I said dont have a sticker saying you
take Visa and then insist on cash.
Can you believe it? I was rummaging around
the bottom of my bag. He didnt get a tip.
I didnt know that you were
dropping by today, dear.
Yes, you said yesterday...
You wanted to make a start on Dads things.
The cupboards?
Then I can help you dress.
Youve got Michael and-
Jaqueline...
Coming for dinner tonight.
Of course.
Were having halibut.
Oh God. Isnt it terrible?
They think its Al Quaida -
xxx
Itll be fine. Come on, get your head down,
its ten to three, for Gods sake.
At ten to three this morning
an explosion...
extensively damaged
the Grand Hotel in Brighton
scene of the Conservative
Party conference.
Where the Prime Minister and a
number of her cabinet were staying.
They escaped unhurt -
Five people have died, many others
are injured, some critically.
The IRA have claimed responsibility.
We must release a statement,
offering our condolences.
Im sure theyve already-
We must never, ever, ever give in
to terrorists.
Good moring dear.
Now ma, are we going long or just
below the knee tonight?
Oh, below the knee I should think.
No! Dont move those. I havent
finished sorting them.
I hear you went out today...
You mustnt go out on your own Mummy.
Weve talked about that.
There was no milk.
Call Robert hell get it for you
if Junes not up-
I am not for the knackers yet.
Now take it easy, Margaret.
No one is saying that.
If I cant go out to buy a pint of milk
then what is the world coming to.
Really Carol...
please dont fuss about it.
Youve always been like this,
fuss fuss fuss.
You must find something better
to do with your time.
Its most unattractive in a woman.
When I was your age...
the last thing I wanted to do
was fuss around my mother.
Four down, 9 letters.
Something b something t
something n...
something something somthing...
Refusal to change course-
Obstinate.
What?
Pearls.
Ill wear the pearls.
There they are.
My little twins.
Thank you, dear.
Its nearly all familiar faces, William,
Michael and his lovely wife-
Jacqueline.
And then theres Peter, James R
and James T and that very nice man-
Yes-
we met last year.
Yes I remember-
I think hes bringing his new lady
friend just to mix it up a bit.
Were rather short on women - but
Im sure well manage-
Ive always preferred the company
of men-
Ma?
Ah, Miss Roberts.
Hoping to be chosen as
our candidate for parliament.
Well I dont like coalitions,
never have...
Start on the outside
and work your way in.
Attlee has his sights set on
the steel industry, you mark my words.
Theyll be nationalizing the
bloody air next.
Yes, hold your breath, sir, thats
government property!
So was your father a political
man, too, Miss Roberts?
Oh, yes, to his core. And Mayor of
Grantham.
And a grocer as well!
Yes.
And did you help, in the... shop?
- Oh, yes. It was a family business.
A very good starting point for the
political life, Im sure.
That and a degree from Oxford.
Whisky.
What I do think is that a man should be
encouraged to stand on his own two feet.
Yes we help people of course we help people.
But for those that can do...
they must just get up and do.
And if somethings wrong,
they shouldnt just whine about it...
they should get in there and DO
something about it, change things.
With all due respect, Miss Roberts,
what may have served in Grantham-
Can serve very well for the people
of Dartford too.
Really?
I know much more than those who
have never lived on a limited income.
Just like the man or woman on the street,
when I am short one week...
I have to make economies the next.
Nothing like a slice of fiscal
responsibility.
A man might call it fiscal responsibility,
a woman might call it good housekeeping.
Im not sure...
a home economics lesson
is quite what...
the Dartford constituents need.
They see industry being nationalized...
the unions on the up,
the pound on the slide...
whoever can sort that lot out,
hes my man.
Or woman?
Ladies shall we?
Miss Roberts, do join the ladies.
Well. Thats told us!
So, Margaret, how would you have
dealt with this if youd been Prime Minister?
Where?
The bombings, mummy. Today?
We were just talking about them?
No, uhm, yes -
we have always lived alongside evil.
But it has never been so patient,
so avid for carnage, so eager to
carry innocents with it into oblivion.
xxxSo, would you -
Western civilization must root out
this evil, wherever it hides,
or she risks defeat at the hands
of global terror in a nuclear age.
Unimaginable!
The Prime Minister gave a very
good statement I thought.
Yes. Clever man. Quite a smoothie.
xxxYou dont mind if I sit down...
I heard you speak at conference
in Brighton in 1984
just after the IRA bombed
the Grand Hotel.
You were remarkable.
I hope you appreciate what an inspiration
you have been for women like myself.
It used to be about trying
to do something.
Now its about trying to be someone.
Well anyway, I...thank you.
Good night, Lady Th...
- Good night to you.
OK...hold on to me...
Can you do the clasp, I cant quite -
Thank you.
Youve got an eyelash.
Make a wish.
I spoke to Doctor Michael today-
He is very good and very expensive-
...I know youre not due to see
him for another month
but Ive spoken to him and he can fit
you in tomorrow.
Just for a check up.
Ma please-
What does Mark think about it?
Mark?
Yes. Tell him to come up. I want
to talk to him about it.
Marks with Sarah and the
children.
Well tell him to come up
and see me after hes...
kissed them good night,
would you Carol darling?
Hes not here Mummy.
Mark lives in South Africa...
you are not Prime Minister anymore...
and Dad is...
Dad is dead-
You look exhausted, dear.
You really must try to get some sleep.
Taxis'll be few and far
between at this hour...
Righty-ho. Night night Ma.
Sleep well.
Good night, dear.
Twenty-four-year-old Miss Margaret Roberts
lost her bid to win a seat in Parliament today,
but she has put new life into the Dartford
Conservative Association.
Winning candidate Mr Dodds
had better watch out,
this bright young woman
is on his tail.
Eat!
Disaster.
Hang on...Hang on...
xxx
You shaved thousands off their majority.
You did splendidly.
Not splendidly enough.
Ah I see. Self pity.
No one is saying you dont need
a safe seat.
You deserve a safe seat.
But it does not come unless
you learn to play the game a little.
What game?
You are a grocers daughter-
And proud of being.
- in their eyes.
A single grocers daughter.
But if you were to become the wife
of a moderately successful businessman-
Youd get to parliament,
and Id get to be
the happiest man in...
in wherever they select you.
Margaret, will you marry me?
Well?
Yes. Yes!
What?
I love you so much but...
I will never be one of those women Denis-
who stays silent and pretty on the arm
of her husband.
Or remote and alone in the kitchen
doing the washing up for that matter.
Well get a help for that.
- No...
ones life must matter, Denis.
Beyond the cooking and
the cleaning and the children,
ones life must mean more than that-
I cannot die washing up a tea cup.
I mean it Denis,
say you understand.
Thats why I want to marry you, my dear.
Now eat.
There they are, my little twins.
Cornwall, wasnt it?
Bloody hell...
Look at em, little imps.
You never really got golf, did you?
You look happy.
Yes, I do, dont I?
Youre drinking too much.
Whatcha doing?
Not like you. Looking back.
Dont want to dig around too deep,
M. Dont know what you might find.
You can rewind it, but you cant
change it.
They grow up so fast.
Mr Eric Deakins,
Labour...
Mr xxxx lib...
Mrs Marg.. Thatcher
con... 29,697
xxx
Mrs Marg.. Thatcher.
xxx... Please.
xxx
Mrs Thatcher!
Mrs Thatcher! Airey Neave.
Welcome to the madhouse. Follow me.
Welcome... xxx
Order
The Right Honourable Lady the
Secretary of State for Education.
The right honourable gentleman knows
that we have no choice but to shut down the schools!
Because...
his union paymasters have called a
strike deliberately to cripple our economy.
Teachers cannot teach when there is no
heating, no lighting in their classrooms.
And I ask the honourable gentleman,
whose fault is that?
Me thinks the Right Honourable
lady doth screech to much.
If she wants us to take her seriously
she must learn to calm down!
If the right honorable gentleman could
perhaps attend more closely to...
What I am saying,
rather than HOW I am saying it,
he may receive a valuable
education in spite of himself!
Why has this Conservative
government failed?
Why has it forced so many
in the public sector into
taking strike action
to save their own jobs?
Minister...
the breakdown of essential public
services in transport, electricity...
sanitation is not the fault
of the trades unions...
but of this Conservative government
in which you so shamefully serve!
So these power cuts will continue
unless we can reach a compromise.
The miners are asking for
a 35% increase in wages.
Obviously we cant go
anywhere near that.
The unions are not our enemies
and never have been.
We want- and have always wanted
the broadest consensus
Im sure we are all in agreement
that we must do nothing...
for the moment that will further
inflame the current situation.
Hear hear, Prime Minister.
- the fact of the matter is,
its absolutely crucial...
that we are seen by the public
to be acting as conciliators...
and not aggressors.
- Yes.
Yes, Education Secretary.
Yes, Prime Minister.
With the Miners leader calling
today for the army to mutiny...
in support of the strikes, this seems
the wrong time for conciliation.
Be patient. Theyll come back
on in a minute.
xxx
Thank you, Margaret.
Your thoughts are duly noted.
We on this island are strong.
Were self-reliant. Napoleon
called us a nation of shopkeepers.
He meant it as an insult
but to me its a compliment.
Thats why he couldnt beat us,
and thats why Hitler cant beat us.
We Conservatives believe in giving people
the freedom and opportunity to...
fulfil their own potential,
especially the young.
Theres no good in pretending
were all equal...
were not all the same, never
have been, never will be.
We should encourage our children to
aspire to achieve more than we have...
for our children today will
be the leaders of tomorrow.
Its 1974 and youd think
it was WWII.
Blackouts, no petrol.
Its a mess.
Heath should resign now and make way
for someone whos not afraid to tackle the unions.
I swear, its all gone completely
out of my head.
My driving instructor thinks I should pass
but I feel as if Ive hardly had any lessons.
Ridiculous isnt it?
Maybe third time lucky.
Right.
The only thing you should remember is
that everyone else is either reckless or inept.
And often both.
One must be brave if one is to
take the wheel-
Right-o.
Move over... Move to your right a
little bit...
But if I move to the right arent
I on the wrong side of the road?
Well hes in the way!
- To the right. Move to the right!
So sorry! Terribly sorry!
Hey, look at me, driving!
Thanks Ma, that was terrific! I
really feel Ive got a handle on it now.
You should have seen us, Pa.
Have you been trying to make
breakfast? For Goodness sake, Denis!
I can boil a bloody egg.
Mummy took me for a test drive -
We went absolutely everywhere.
All over the place -
Ive decided. Im going to run.
What for?
Im going to run for Leader of the Party.
Silly me!
- Good luck!
All the time I thought I was having a driving lesson,
it was all about my mother, just for a change!
Whats she on about?
Its her driving test this morning!
- Oh, right. Of course.
Are you saying you want to be
Prime Minister?
What Im saying is that someone
must force the point,
say the unsayable. None of these
men have the guts.
The Prime Minister has been very
loyal to you, MT.
But hes weak, and hes
weakened the party.
One must know when to go.
Youre shaking.
Let... xxx
- I can do it!
Goodness me!
What is the matter
with everyone this morning?
Ive told you what the matter is.
The business is a bit rocky at the moment
and the Doctor thinks I need a rest.
And do you need a rest?
We both know...
that its highly unlikely that I
would ever be elected leader,
But I will run. I will run.
Just to nip at their heels and make...
them reaffirm the principles on which
the Conservative Party must stand.
Theres so much to do.
Youre insufferable, Margaret,
do you know that?
Denis, you married someone who is committed
to public service, you knew that.
And it is my duty...
- Dont call it duty.
Its ambition which has got
you this far. Ambition.
And the rest of us, me, the children,
we can all go to hell!
Dont worry about me,
Ill be fine!
Where did you go?
South Africa.
- Yes.Yes.
How many days passed before
you realized I was gone?
Probably had to ask the cleaning
woman where I was.
When did I lose track of everyone?
Too busy climbing the greasy pole MT.
Mrs Thatcher I understand you
recently visited the United States of America.
What was it you took away from that visit
which may be of value here in Great Britain?
Oh thats rather easy
to answer, actually.
They are unafraid of success.
We in Great Britain and in Europe
are formed mainly by our history.
They on the other hand are
formed by their philosophy.
Not by what has been,
but by what can be.
Oh, we have a great deal that we
can learn from them, yes. Oh yes!
For a start, that hat
has got to go.
And the pearls.
In fact I think all hats may have to go.
You look and sound like...
a privileged Conservative wife
and weve already got her vote.
Youve got lovely hair...
but we need to do something with it
to make it more, Important.
Yes. Give it more impact.
But the main thing is your voice.
Its too high. It has no authority.
Me thinks the Lady doth screech too much
People dont want to be harangued
by a woman or hectored.
Persuaded yes.
That oh yes...
at the end of the interview,
thats authoritative,
thats the voice of a leader.
Its all very well to talk about
changing my voice, Mr Reece,
but for some of my colleagues to
imagine me as their leader...
would be like imagining,
I dont know, being led into
battle by their chambermaid.
Its my background, and my sex.
No matter how Ive tried,
and I have tried...
to fit in, xxx
I will never be truly one of them.
If I may say so - I think thats
your trump card.
Youre flying in the face of everything
the Tories have been thus far.
Its really very exciting.
One simply has to maximise
your appeal...
bring out all your qualities...
and make you look, and sound,
like the leader that you could be.
Youve got it in you to go the
whole distance.
Absolutely.
Prime Minister?!
Oh no. Oh no no no. In Britain?
There will be no female Prime Minister
here, not in my lifetime.
No.
And I told Airey, I dont expect
to win the leadership, but I...
am going to run.
Just to shake up the party.
Respectfully, Margaret,
I disagree.
If you want to change this party,
lead it. If you want to change
the country, lead it.
What were talking about here
today is surface. Whats crucial...
is that you hold your course, and
stay true to who you are.
Never be anything other
than yourself.
Leave us to do the rest.
Gentlemen, I am in your hands.
I may be persuaded to
surrender the hat.
But the pearls were a gift from my
husband on the birth of our twins...
and they are absolutely
non-negotiable.
Good, I think we can loose
the handbag, Mrs Thatcher.
Hands down the sides...
And...bring it down.
Because this isnt really about
the voice, its about belief...
A nice deep breath.
xxx hands
If youre calling Mr Thatcher,
how would you do that?
Denis.
Yes, I want more authority,
I want conviction, I want...
Thats right, one more time,
deep breath -
Denis.
Yes MT!
You are the backbone
of our nation!
Small firms like Lovedays Ice Cream.
How are you?
So nice to meet you ladies.
Ill just have a small one,
because Im watching my figure.
Thats for you young man!
I passionately believe its the growth
of small businesses into larger ones...
that is critical for
Britains future.
It has to be something icy on
a stick for Denis.
Thats the only way...
we will produce jobs,
real jobs, jobs that sustain.
The Trade Union Movement was
founded to protect workers.
Now it persecutes them.
It stops them from working.
It is killing jobs and it is bringing
this country to its knees.
I say enough.
Its time to get up.
Its time to go to work.
Its time to put the Great
back into Great Britain!
xxx
Give em hell!
You look magnificent.
Next stop Prime Minister.
Let go.
The leader of the Conservative
Party, Margaret Thatcher!
Good night Margaret.
My moneys on the filly to win!
Oh, thanks Airey. Goodnight.
No. No, no! Airey!
The Irish National Liberation Army
has claimed responsibility for the...
death of Airey Neave, Margaret
Thatchers spokesman on Northern Ireland.
If you want to change the party,
lead it.
If you want to change
the country, lead it.
Youve got it in you to
go the whole distance!
Now, as the test draws near,
I ask your help.
That together we can shake off
the shackles of socialism
and restore to greatness
this country that we love.
And the only way is for the
Conservative Party to win!
xxx
Its Friday the 4th of May,
an historic day for Britain,
a Conservative government led by
Mrs. Thatcher is set to lead -
Mrs Ghandi in India, but never in the West
has there been a woman Prime Minister.
The place that she has secured
in British history, as...
the first woman ever to be invited
to form a government.
The bonus of one of the most
famous addresses in the world,
Number 10 Downing Street.
This is it, steady the buffs old girl.
Good afternoon, Prime Minister.
I should just like to say...
that I take very seriously
the trust...
the British people placed
in me today...
and I will work hard every day to
live up to that responsibility.
And now, I should like to share
with you a prayer...
of St Francis of Assisi:
''Where there is discord may
we bring harmony...
Where there is error may we bring truth...
Where there is doubt
may we bring faith...
Where there is despair
may we bring hope''
Shoulders back, tummies in!
Oh. Thank you, Michael.
Two, one.
Im perfectly healthy. Theres no
need for any of this.
Just let them look under
the bonnet, MT.
Check everything is hunky dory.
Really its becoming quite tiresome.
What is?
- You.
I was on my own for
twenty four years...
before I met you and I can manage
perfectly well without you now.
So will you please go away
and stop bothering me.
Just look straight at me,
straight ahead, thats it.
Are you noticing night sweats?
- No.
Hallucinations?
No.
Sleep?
Yes, I sleep.
Four, five hours a night.
So you wake early?
And I stay up late.
I always have.
We just want to keep abreast
of it thats all.
Yes. Of course.
Grief is a very natural state.
My husband has been gone
for years. Cancer.
Carol says youve decided to let
his things go. Probably a good thing.
Yes. It was my idea.
To Oxfam.
Perfectly good stuff. People can
use these things.
Still it must be a bit disorientating.
You are bound to be feeling.
What?
What am I
bound to be feeling?
People dont think any more.
They feel.
How are you feeling?
Oh I dont feel comfortable
with that
Oh, Im so sorry but we,
the group were feeling...
Dyou know, one of the
great problems of our age...
is that we are governed
by people who care...
more about feelings
than thoughts and ideas.
Now thoughts and ideas.
That interests me.
Ask me what I am thinking-
What are you thinking, Margaret?
Watch your thoughts,
for they become words.
Watch your words,
for they become actions.
Watch your actions,
for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for
they become your character.
And watch your character,
for it becomes your destiny.
What we think, we become.
My father always said that.
And I think I am fine.
But I do so appreciate
your kind concern.
Oh, do please answer that.
It might be someone who needs you.
Ill give Carol a quick
ring, let her...
know were back, then Ill put
your electric blanket on.
Steady, steady, steady!
Damn.
Fore!
What about that medicine man, eh?
Ah. Cold supper.
Standards are slipping Margaret.
Well you really gave it to that
quack didnt you, darling?
Just like the old days!
Hallucinations my eye!
How dare he?
But then you give us all the run
around, dont you?
I know you can hear me, sweetheart,
so theres no use pretending you cant.
Enough. Denis, enough!
Dismissed!
She does it in the end.
Kills him-
I dont know why youre
being so scratchy.
Its not as if youve got anyone
else to talk to.
When the Himalayan peasant meets
the he-bear in his pride -
You know, its a marvel to me that you
can still quote huge chunks of Kipling...
but try remembering the name
of that woman whos...
just made you that
godawful cold collation.
No?
Come on.
You can do it.
Month of the year.
One syllable.
Rhymes with moon.
June.
- June! Bingo.
Knew youd get
there in the end.
When the Himalayan peasant
meets the he-bear in his pride...
He shouts to scare the monster,
who will often turn aside...
but the she-bear thus accosted rends
the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is
more deadly than the male...
If I cant hear you then
I cant see you.
And if I cant see you
then you are not here.
And if you are not here,
I am not going mad.
I will not go mad.
I will not...
I will not go mad.
Baroness Thatcher made an apparently
routine visit to her doctor today.
Although rarely seen in public,
the longest serving Prime Minister
of the twentieth century,
remains a controversial figure.
Almost lovingly dubbed by the
Soviets The Iron Lady,
shes also credited,
with her friend Ronald Reagan,
with a decisive role in the ending
of the Cold War.
Her supporters claim she
transformed the British...
economy and reversed
the countrys post-war decline.
Her detractors blame her
savage public spending...
cuts and sweeping privatization of -
I dont recognize myself.
Am I out of the doghouse yet?
Theyre unveiling that portrait...
of me at Number 10
next month.
The invitations on the mantelpiece.
So...
therell be Churchill,
Lloyd George and me.
Just the three of us.
I said I didnt want any big fuss
but they insisted.
Lovely little article in The Telegraph.
The Woman Who Changed
the Face of History.
Less than two years ago,
the Prime Minister quoted St. Francis...
and talked about bringing faith,
hope and harmony to this country.
Denis?
Can the Right Honourable Lady deny,
that having brought about
the highest level...
of unemployment since 1934-
The biggest fall in total output...
in steel and coal production
in one year since 1931.
And the biggest collapse in
industrial production since 1921.
Order, Order.
Can she also accept that her
free market economics...
designed to create a
growing middle class...
ensures that the rich get richer
and the poor are irrelevant!
Maggie Maggie Maggie! Out Out Out!
Maggie Maggie Maggie! Out Out Out!
Youre supposed to be a mother!
Youre not a mother,
youre a monster!
May we have a word,
Prime Minister?
Yes, but in order to arrive
at the palace on time,
Geoffrey and I are will be walking
out of that door in 15 minutes.
As you can see.
- I know youre running late Margaret...
but we have to address this
situation in light...
of tomorrows blistering
press coverage. Blistering!
The knives are out.
Your draft budgets been leaked,
Geoffrey, they are baying for our blood!
Michael we cant possibly buckle
at the first sign of difficulty.
No one is saying we have to buckle.
- But is this really the time to...
make these spending cuts in the
middle of one of the deepest...
recessions this country
has ever experienced?
We need a plan of action, Margaret.
- Absolutely. A strategy.
We must be armed.
Theres a perception, Margaret...
rightly or wrongly, that we are now
completely out of touch with the country.
Really.
How much is a pack of Lurpak?
Lurpak?
- Butter, Francis.
Forty two pence.
Anchor butter is forty pence.
Flora margarine, still the cheapest,
is thirty eight pence.
I can assure you
I am not out of touch.
Grocers Daughter
What - did you say?
Nothing. Prime Minister, Nothing.
No, no, please.
Dont try to hide you opinions.
Goodness me, Id much rather
you were open and...
straight forward about them
instead of continuously and
damagingly leaking them to the press.
Well?
- Well,
people cant pay their mortgages.
The manufacturing industry is
practically on its knees.
Honest, hard-working, decent
people are losing their homes.
Its terribly shameful.
The point is, Prime Minister, that
we must moderate the pace -
- if were even to have a hope of
winning the next election-
Quite right.
Ah. Worried about our careers, are we?
Gentlemen, if we dont cut
spending we will be bankrupt.
Yes, the medicine is harsh...
but the patient requires
it in order to live.
Shall we withhold the medicine?
No! We are not wrong.
We did not seek election and
win in order to manage...
the decline of a great nation.
The people of this country
chose us...
because they believe we can
restore the health of
the British economy and
we will do just that!
Barring a failure of nerve.
Anything else?
- Prime Minister.
You saved the day
once again, Crawfie,
youre an angel.
You cant close down a discussion
because its not what you wish to hear.
I dont expect everyone just to
sit there and agree with me.
But what kind of leader am I if I
dont try to get my own way-
to do what I know to be right.
- Yes.
But Margaret,
one must be careful of testing
ones colleagues loyalty too far.
We are now one split nation,
with a huge gulf dividing
the employed from the unemployed.
The Thatcher plan is to break
the Trade Union movement.
There must be closures of
uneconomic coal mines,
we seek only
an efficient industry.
The miners are being starved back
to work, the need is desperate!
There are those who would
say hold back,
there are those who
would make us retreat -
But we shall never
give in to them.
We shall never waver,
not for a second,
in our determination to see
this country prosper once again.
A car bomb has exploded outside
Harrods department store, killing...
six people and injuring 71.
Eleven soldiers died today when
two bombs were detonated during...
military parades in Hyde Park
and Regents Park.
Seven horses also
died in the blasts.
The IRA have claimed
responsibility.
And now, it must be
business as usual.
Come on love, get to bed.
I dont know why you do this
to yourself every year,
its a speech at conference,
not the Magna Carta!
Time to call it a day, darling.
Its ten to three, for Gods sake.
I know, Im coming DT. Nearly
there -
Denis!
Denis-
there you are.
Are you alright?
My shoes!
Thats when I thought Id lost you.
Mark?
Hello darling.
No, Im fine.
Im very well, How is...
Sarah?
And the children..?
Oh...
You cant.
Thats a pity.
I was hoping to see you.
Yes...
Oh... No Thats fine.
Really darling.
Thats fine.
Of course...
another time.
Yes... Darling.
Yes... Cant wait... Lovely.
Yes...
xxx Mark?
That was Mark. Not able to come.
Boys always going AWOL.
Well it costs him a great deal
to fly everyone up here.
There you go, making excuses for
him. Now look where its got you.
Did you know Yul Brynner was a
gypsy from Vladivostok?
Yes. He moved to Paris
when he was fourteen.
He played the King of Siam...
and Broadway stages.
What are you doing?
One likes to make an effort.
A snifter?
Youre dead, Denis.
Ah. Well, if Im dead... who are
you talking to? Shall we dance?
The Falkland islands, the British Colony
in the South Atlantic, has fallen.
Argentina claims its marines went ashore
as a spearhead this morning...
to capture key targets,
including the capital, Port Stanley.
Gentlemen, the Argentinian Junta...
which is a fascist gang...
has invaded our sovereign territory.
This cannot be tolerated.
May I make plain my
negotiating position.
I will not negotiate with
criminals or thugs.
The Falkland islands belong to
Britain, and I want them back.
Gentlemen, I need you to tell me
today if that is possible.
Possible... just, Prime Minister.
We can have a Task Force ready
to sail in forty-eight hours.
Forty-eight hours?
But...
We have a very narrow
weather window.
We cant fight in winter down there.
Nobody can.
If we are going,
we have to go now.
Why were the islands left without
any naval protection?
In the last round of Defence cuts
we judged the risk of invasion to be small.
Did we?
And if you remember, Prime Minister,
you agreed that we should reduce the naval
presence in the area to an absolute minimum.
Margaret, the cost
of sending 28,000 men...
and a hundred ships twelve thousand miles,
almost to Argentina, will be absolutely crippling.
I dont think we should be worrying
about money at this point, Geoffrey.
We cant afford to go to war.
We have to go now.
now.
The government has now decided
that a large task force will sail,
as soon as all preparations
are complete.
Prime Minister we do still have three
weeks before our ships reach the islands.
All were saying is that we shouldnt
give up on trying to find a diplomatic solution.
The U.S. Secretary of State has
arrived, Prime Minister.
So you are proposing to go to war
over these Islands.
Theyre thousands of miles away,
a handful of citizens,
politically and economically insignificant,
if youll excuse me.
Just like Hawaii, I imagine.
Im sorry?
Pearl Harbour.
Did America go cap in hand...
and ask Tojo for a peaceful
negotiation of terms?
Did she turn her back
on her own citizens there...
because the islands were thousands
of miles from mainland United States?
No, no, no!
We will stand on principle or
we shall not stand at all.
But Margaret with all due respect
when one has been to war...
With all due respect sir...
I have done battle every
single day of my life...
and many men have
underestimated me before.
This lot seem bound
to do the same...
but they will rue the day.
Now, shall I be mother?
Tea, Al, how do you take your tea?
Black or white?
The Argentinian ship the General
Belgrano and her escorts are pursuing...
course 273 degrees toward
the Argentinian mainland.
We are tracking it with our
submarine HMS Conqueror.
Is this ship a threat?
Both of these ships are carrying
Exocet missiles, Prime Minister.
Just yesterday...
they launched, then aborted an
attack inside the exclusion zone.
There is a risk they could
try it again.
The Belgrano is sailing directly
away from the islands.
Can it really be regarded
as a threat?
Shes been changing course continually.
Theres a strong possibility that theyre attempting
a pincer movement on our carrier group.
I advise that we engage them:
hit the Belgrano as a warning to the others.
Send them all back to port.
Itll play badly internationally.
Well be seen as aggressors.
This will be an escalation, Prime Minister.
If there is to be an escalation,
its better that we start it.
It is steaming away, Prime Minister.
Sink it.
HMS Sheffield, a Type 42 destroyer,
was attacked and hit late this
afternoon by an Argentine missile...
it is seen as a retaliation for the sinking
of the General Belgrano,
in which over 300 Argentinian
sailors died...
xxx. Latest casualty figures
from the Sheffield.
I must write to them.
Prime Minister?
The families.
I must write to them...
xxx
Foreign Secretary...
Ive just been briefed by Admiral Fieldhouse.
He told me bluntly that if the Argentinians
are prepared and willing to risk their aircraft,
they have enough missiles
to cripple most of our fleet.
President Reagan and President Bellaunde
of Peru have
some new proposals
for the peace plan -
The peace plan?
There will be no appeasement.
This is a war.
A war they started and
by God, we will finish it.
I tell you what Im going
to write...
to every single one of these families,
these heartbroken families?
I am going to tell them that no
British soldier will die in vain...
for the Falklands.
Lieutenant Colonel Jones.
Captain Wood. Captain Dench.
I am the only Prime Minister
in the history of our country...
who is also a mother with
a son of my own,
I can imagine your agony,
and your grief.
Prime Minister, we have secured
the beach head -
The Argentinian troops are
demoralized and ill equipped...
The paratroops have
taken Goose Green...
Shortly after dark last night,
our forces xxx Port Stanley...
xxx what the Commander in Chief
has called a brilliant surprise night attack.
Thatcher, bed.
From their new positions, our forces
can see large numbers of Argentine soldiers
retreating and streaming back
into Port Stanley.
Our forces are moving forward
to exploit their success.
Well done, MARGARET.
We congratulate the men and women
of the armed Forces for their skill,
bravery and loyalty to this country.
We were faced with an act of
unprovoked aggression...
and we responded as we have
responded in times past:
with unity, strength and courage,
sure in the knowledge that
though much is sacrificed,
in the end, right will prevail
over wrong.
And I put it to the Honourable
Member opposite...
that this is not a day
for him to carp...
find fault, demand inquiries-
they will happen I can assure
him of that...
for we have nothing
to hide, no...
this is a day to put difference aside,
hold ones head high...
and take pride in being British.
GOTCHA! Well that paid off old girl!
Your ratings soared!
From the most hated Prime Minister
of all time to the nations darling...
The world was at your feet,
and Britain was back in business!
The Berlin Wall has fallen.
The gates have opened!
The police are making no attempt to
stop people as they go through.
I dont agree...
I dont agree in any measure!
But Prime Minister the question of
the European single currency will come up.
I dont think the country
is ready for it yet.
But we cannot bury our heads
in the sand...
A lot of Conservative MPs and
Ministers are saying -
- that there must be a change in
that style of management.
That Mrs Thatcher must listen more,
and on occasion, give in.
The point is, Prime Minister,
I dont think we can sell the idea of
a tax that asks everyone to pay the same.
Our policies may be unpopular, but
they are the right policies.
Prime Minister I just dont think
we can ask the poorest of the poor...
to pay the same amount
of tax as a multi-millionaire.
There it is again!
Why not?
Because -
Because people... on the whole...
think that the tax is manifestly unfair.
Nonsense. Arrant nonsense.
This is a simple proposition.
In order to live in this country,
you must pay for the privilege-
something, anything!
If you pay nothing,
you care nothing.
What do you care where you
throw your rubbish?
Your council estate is a mess,
your town, graffiti, what do you care?
It's not your problem,
it's somebody else's problem-
it's the government's problem!
Your problem...
Some of you,
is that you haven't got
the courage for this fight.
You havent had to fight
hard for anything.
It's all been given to you-
and you feel guilty about it!
Well, may I say, on behalf of all those
who have had to fight their way up,
and who don't feel guilty about it...
we resent those slackers
who take, take, take...
and contribute nothing
to the community!
And I see the same thing,
the same cowardice...
in our fight within
the European Union.
Cowardice.
For the sovereignty of Britain
the integrity of the pound!
Some of you want to make concessions.
I hear some of you...
agree with the latest
French proposals.
Well, why dont you get on
a boat to Calais?
Yes, why don't you put on a beret,
and pay 85% of your income
to the French government!
Right.
What can we realistically hope to achieve
by the end of session, Lord President?
And why have we not made
more progress to date?
What is that?
Is that the timetable?
I haven't seen that.
May I see it?
Here it is, Prime Minister. Of course.
The wording is sloppy here...
and here.
If you say so.
- I do say so.
Its merely a first draft...
This is ridiculous. There are
two Ts in committee!
Two Ts.
This is shameful. Shameful!
I cant even rely on you for
a simple timetable!
Are you unwell?
Yes. You are unwell.
Give me the pencil, give it to me!
If this is the best you can do I
had better send you to hospital,
and I shall do your job as well as
my own and everyone elses.
Gentlemen.
As the Lord President has thosen
to come to cabinet unprepared...
I have to close this meeting.
Good morning!
Cant pay, wont pay!
Geoffrey-
My letter of resignation.
Our differences, Im afraid,
cannot be reconciled.
I have done what I believe to be right
for my party and my country.
The time has come for
others to consider...
their own response to the tragic
conflict of loyalties...
with which I have myself wrestled
for perhaps too long.
Geoffreys speech in the House of
Commons was devastating.
xxx
He was almost inviting someone to
challenge her for leadership of the party.
She behaved appallingly.
I wouldnt have spoken to
my gamekeeper like that.
I dont think she can survive this.
Im here to announce my decision
to put my name forward as leader
of the Conservative party.
I have nothing but admiration for our
Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher,
but I believe...
our party and our country
need a new leader.
Its extraordinary.
I am the Prime Minister.
- The rules of the Conservative Party...
make it possible for Conservative MPs
to depose a sitting Prime Minister.
Sweetie?
xxx
As Conservative MPs gather
in Westminster to discus...
who they will back in the leadership
contest, the Prime Minister said...
she would not be diverted
from critical international affairs.
Tonight in Paris Mrs Thatcher is
among thirty four world leaders
who came together to celebrate
the end of the Cold War and herald...
the start of a peaceful new age
of East/West cooperation.
Theres a general feeling that Mrs Thatcher
is going to win on the first ballot.
Were going to put it to bed tomorrow night,
is how one of her campaign staff puts it.
M, I really think you should come home
and defend yourself old girl.
Heseltine is campaigning ferociously.
I do think my time is best spent seeing
an end to the Cold War...
dont you? After all this time
they know what I stand for.
Will she, or will she not,
be in the job tomorrow?
Margaret, they cant touch you.
Mrs Thatcher has failed to win
enough votes to secure an outright...
win in the leadership contest
and must now decide...
whether to put her name forward
for the second round.
As Mrs Thatcher leaves Paris for London
to make a last ditch attempt...
to pull together support for her
leadership, the ship may have sailed.
Treachery!
We will never win another election
led by that woman.
We need a leader who listens.
This isnt about her,
its about the party.
One must know when to go.
The question is, how does
anyone put it to her?
If you were to stand, I of course
would vote for you Prime Minister-
of course would vote for you Prime
Minister, but I dont think you can win.
The loyalty of my colleagues
cannot be counted upon.
It was the people who put me here -
The loyalty of my colleagues
cannot be counted upon.
- its up to them to tell
me when to go.
Margaret, you cant let them
do this to you.
Please, boss.
Theyll destroy you.
Throw in the towel now, love.
Dont let those bastards
see you humiliated.
You just wont win, darling.
Not this time.
Oh Denis.
I am the Prime Minister.
Order! Order!
The Right Honourable gentleman is afraid!
This is a naked strategy of
closing some coal mines...
and then selling off.
- They believe in striking...
I believe in working!
- This is the woman whos watched...
ten men on hunger strike starve themselves
to death and never flinched!
Despicable.
More homeowners, more
shareholders, more savings -
xxx
I offer my resignation...
after eleven and a half
extraordinary years -
proud to have left Britain in
a much better state...
than when we took office.
Whats this then?
A radio...
How useful.
Steady, MT.
The greatest Prime Minister
since Churchill...
deposed by a bunch
of spineless pygmies!
All those years of taking
the tough decisions...
does any of it matter now?
Its all been turned to mush!
What?
- By these fools!
These lily-livered pinkos!
These inept placators.
- Very good! These vacillators.
Vacillators! Poll takers.
- Popularity seekers.
So busy taking the pulse of the public!
Weak.
Is weak.
Weak...
- All off them. Weak.
Men!
Dont they know if you take
the tough decisions.
Yes, people will hate you today
but theyll thank you for generations.
Or forget you entirely and chuck
you out with the rubbish!
All I wanted was to make a
difference in the world.
And you did, love, you did.
All I wanted was for my children
to grow up well and be happy...
happier than I was certainly.
xxx
Oh, yes.
And I wanted you to
be happy of course.
Were you happy, Denis?
Tell me the truth.
Denis?
Denis?
Heres your bag.
Youre all packed, sorted.
Denis wait.
Where are your shoes?
No, you cant go without shoes!
Not yet.
- Steady.
Yes.
Steady.
Steady the buffs.
- Steady the buffs.
No. Not yet. Denis.
Wait...
I dont, I cant.
I dont want you to go yet.
Denis. Please.
No, no. You are not.
I dont want to be on my own.
Youre going to be fine on your own,
love. You always have been.
Denis!
xxx
Mummy-
My God, Mum.
Are you alright?
Yes.
- What are you doing.
Yes.
Mummy you should have called
for help, silly old sausage.
Have you not even been in
your bed properly?
Youve done all this?
- Yes, all sorted.
Well dont worry about all this.
June and I will crack on with it.
I was just going to get dressed.
Shall I call someone, see if anyone
can come over and do your hair?
Oh. No, you do it.
Oh, let me do that, Margaret.
No, dear, Ill do it.
Carol said you might go to the
House of Lords today?
No no. Im not going anywhere.
Noppes