▁By ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁abol ition ▁was ▁being ▁open ly ▁advoc ated ▁by ▁many ▁leading ▁Conserv atives ▁to ▁the ▁appreci ative ▁ears ▁of ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er . ▁Event ually , ▁back ben ch ▁Conserv ative ▁MP s ▁forced ▁the ▁issue ▁by ▁putting ▁down ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁I LE A , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁go ▁before ▁the ▁next ▁elections ▁( sch eduled ▁for ▁ 1 9 9 0 ). ▁ ▁The ▁defence ▁of ▁I LE A ▁followed ▁the ▁same ▁track ▁as ▁had ▁been ▁followed , ▁un success fully , ▁in ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁G LC . ▁A ▁postal ▁ball ot ▁of ▁parents ▁of ▁I LE A ▁school ▁children ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁found ▁ 9 5 % ▁opposed ▁to ▁abol ition . ▁The ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁were ▁lo bb ied , ▁but ▁without ▁success . ▁With ▁the ▁government ▁having ▁little ▁difficulty ▁in ▁seeing ▁abol ition ▁of ▁I LE A ▁passed ▁into ▁law , ▁it ▁ceased ▁to ▁exist ▁on ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Later ▁posts ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁F let cher ▁accepted ▁a ▁promotion ▁at ▁N AL GO ▁to ▁be ▁Education ▁Officer . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁he ▁became ▁Head ▁of ▁Education ▁Policy ▁for ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁Association . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 4 4 ▁birth s ▁Category : Tra de ▁union ists ▁from ▁Lanc ash ire