Margaret Thatcher

Thatcher retired from the House of Commons in 1992 and joined the House of Lords as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. Much in demand on the international lecture circuit, Thatcher remained an active commentator on events and a tireless campaigner on issues close to her concerns and beliefs. From her seat in the House of Lords, Thatcher fiercely opposed British endorsement of the Maastricht Treaty (or Treaty on European Union). She also strongly criticized Western reluctance to punish aggression in the Wars of Yugoslav Succession.

Thatcher subsequently made her influence felt within the Conservative Party by her public endorsement of leaders such as John Redwood and William Hague, largely on the basis of their skepticism about building closer ties to Europe. In 2002, ill health forced Thatcher to abandon her regular public speaking engagements. The Downing Street Years (1993), the first volume of her memoirs, became a bestseller. The second volume, The Path to Power, was published in 1995. A third book, Statecraft (2002), outlined Thatcher’s vision of international affairs in the 21st century.