Margaret Thatcher made history by becoming the first female head of government in the West. Elected in May 1979, she held the Premiership for eleven and a half eventful years until November 1990.

Just 34 years old when she was first elected to Parliament in 1959, she first achieved ministerial office a mere two years later when she was appointed Joint Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. She was Secretary of State for Education in the Heath Government of 1970-74 and was elected Leader of the Conservative Party in January 1975 - until then an institution regarded as a bastion of male privilege.

The consequence of Mrs Thatcher's advent to the leadership of a main political party was an unprecedented social change in Britain, including greater freedom for the individual, restoration of national pride and the transformation of the economy. Under her government, trade union power was curbed, raging inflation was reduced, council tenants were given the right to buy their homes and millions of citizens became shareholders. Mrs Thatcher championed free market economics and such was her success in pursuing her policies that she led her party to an unprecedented hat-trick of General Election victories.

However, it is arguable that Mrs Thatcher's reputation owed even more to her record in foreign affairs. Her outspoken criticism of totalitarian regimes led to the Soviet Union handing her the sobriquet "The Iron Lady" in which she characteristically revelled. Never more was her resolve tested than in the Falklands War of 1982, when the Argentine invaders were defeated. Her determined partnership, first with President Reagan and then with his successor President Bush, led to the collapse of the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe and to the opportunities for freedom and prosperity that now beckon the citizens of those countries.

Mrs Thatcher was a leading figure in in the European Comminity, helping to formulate the Community's future shape whilst at the same time ensuring that Britain did not pay a disproportionately high share of the bills.

Strong leadership became synonymous with Margaret Thatcher's name. Never afraid to meet a situation head-on, she had the energy and courage to tackle all the problems with which her long administration was presented. As was said at the time of her resignation in 1990, "we shall not see her like again."