Thatcher introduced a series of economic policies intended to reverse high unemployment and Britain 's struggles in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an ongoing recession . Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation ( particularly of the financial sector ) , flexible labour markets , the privatisation of state-owned companies , and reducing the power and influence of trade unions . Thatcher 's popularity in her first years in office waned amid recession and rising unemployment , until victory in the 1982 Falklands War and the recovering economy brought a resurgence of support , resulting in her decisive re-election in 1983 . She survived an assassination attempt in the Brighton hotel bombing in 1984
Brighton hotel bombing
Brighton hotel bombing
Margaret Thatcher