Third Thatcher ministry

This article is about the people in Margaret Thatcher's third government. For the events of Margaret Thatcher's third term as Prime Minister, see Premiership of Margaret Thatcher § Third term (June 1987 – November 1990).

Main article: List of ministers under Margaret Thatcher

Third Thatcher ministry
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
1987–1990
Thatcher in 1983
Date formed	11 June 1987 (1987-06-11)
Date dissolved	28 November 1990 (1990-11-28)
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Prime Minister's history	Premiership of Margaret Thatcher
Deputy Prime Minister	Geoffrey Howe (1989–1990)
Total no. of members	245 appointments
Member party	Conservative Party
Status in legislature	Majority 376 / 650 (58%)
Opposition cabinet	Kinnock Shadow Cabinet
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Neil Kinnock
History
Election	1987 general election
Legislature terms	50th UK Parliament
Budgets	1988 budget 1989 budget 1990 budget
Predecessor	Second Thatcher ministry
Successor	First Major ministry

Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990, during which time she led a Conservative majority government. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to liberalise the British economy through deregulation, privatisation, and the promotion of entrepreneurialism.

This article details the third Thatcher ministry which she led at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II from 1987 to 1990.

Election

Main article: 1987 United Kingdom general election

The Conservatives were elected for a third successive term in June 1987, with a majority of 102 seats. It enabled Margaret Thatcher to become the longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century, as Britain's economic recovery continued.

Fate

Further information: 1990 Conservative Party leadership election

Then, on 1 November 1990, came the first of a series of events which would spell the end of Margaret Thatcher's years in power. Geoffrey Howe, the Deputy Prime Minister, long resentful of being ousted as Foreign Secretary, resigned from the cabinet over its European policy. Soon afterward, in his resignation speech in the House of Commons, he publicly denounced Thatcher, having once been one of her closest allies, personally and for her hostility towards the programmes of the European Community. On 14 November, former cabinet minister Michael Heseltine challenged Thatcher's leadership. Thatcher polled higher than him in the first round of the leadership contest, but failed to gain an outright victory in the first round of voting. ^[1]

Within minutes of the result being announced, Thatcher informed reporters that she intended to let her name go forward for the second ballot. ^[2] However, on 22 November, before a second round of the contest could take place, Margaret Thatcher announced her resignation as Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party after more than 11 years, explaining that she was resigning to make way for a leader more likely to win the next general election.

Her successor was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major, who was elected on 27 November 1990, and who at 47 became the youngest Conservative Prime Minister of the 20th century.

Cabinets

June 1987 to July 1989

• Margaret Thatcher – Prime Minister
• The Viscount Whitelaw – Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
• The Lord Havers – Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
• John Wakeham – Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
• Nigel Lawson – Chancellor of the Exchequer
• John Major – Chief Secretary to the Treasury
• Geoffrey Howe – Foreign Secretary
• Douglas Hurd – Home Secretary
• John MacGregor – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• George Younger – Secretary of State for Defence
• Kenneth Baker – Secretary of State for Education
• Norman Fowler – Secretary of State for Employment
• Cecil Parkinson – Secretary of State for Energy
• Nicholas Ridley – Secretary of State for the Environment
• John Moore – Secretary of State for Health
• The Lord Young of Graffham – Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade
• Kenneth Clarke – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Tom King – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Malcolm Rifkind – Secretary of State for Scotland
• Paul Channon – Secretary of State for Transport
• Peter Walker – Secretary of State for Wales
• David Waddington – Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
• Sir Patrick Mayhew – Attorney General for England and Wales

Changes

• October 1987 – Lord Mackay of Clashfern succeeds Lord Havers as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain.
• January 1988 –Viscount Whitelaw retires and is succeeded by John Wakeham as Lord President of the Council. Lord Belstead succeeds Wakeham as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Lord Belstead succeeds Viscount Whitelaw as Leader of the House of Lords.
• July 1988 – Department of Health and Social Security broken up into component parts:
  • John Moore continues on as Secretary of State for Social Security.
  • Kenneth Clarke becomes Secretary of State for Health. Tony Newton succeeds Clarke as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

July 1989 to November 1990

• Margaret Thatcher – Prime Minister
• Sir Geoffrey Howe – Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council
• The Lord Mackay of Clashfern – Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
• The Lord Belstead – Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
• Nigel Lawson – Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Norman Lamont – Chief Secretary to the Treasury
• John Major – Foreign Secretary
• Douglas Hurd – Home Secretary
• John Gummer – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• Tom King – Secretary of State for Defence
• John MacGregor – Secretary of State for Education
• Norman Fowler – Secretary of State for Employment
• John Wakeham – Secretary of State for Energy
• Chris Patten – Secretary of State for the Environment
• Kenneth Clarke – Secretary of State for Health
• Kenneth Baker – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Peter Brooke – Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Malcolm Rifkind – Secretary of State for Scotland
• Tony Newton – Secretary of State for Social Security
• Nicholas Ridley – Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade
• Cecil Parkinson – Secretary of State for Transport
• Peter Walker – Secretary of State for Wales

Changes

• October 1989 –
  • John Major succeeds Nigel Lawson as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
  • Douglas Hurd succeeds John Major as Foreign Secretary.
  • David Waddington succeeds Douglas Hurd as Home Secretary.
  • Tim Renton succeeds David Waddington as Chief Whip.
• January 1990 – Norman Fowler resigns as Secretary of State for Employment and is succeeded by Michael Howard.
• May 1990 – Peter Walker resigns as Secretary of State for Wales, having announced his intention in March. David Hunt succeeds him.
• July 1990 – Nicholas Ridley resigns as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Peter Lilley succeeds him.
• November 1990 –At the start of the month, Geoffrey Howe resigns and the title of Deputy Prime Minister is not reallocated. John MacGregor succeeds him as Lord President of the Council and is in turn succeeded by Kenneth Clarke as Secretary of State for Education and Science, who is succeeded by William Waldegrave as Secretary of State for Health.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

Office	Name	Dates	Notes
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Minister for the Civil Service	Margaret Thatcher	June 1987 – 28 November 1990
Deputy Prime Minister	The Viscount Whitelaw	June 1987 – January 1988	also Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain	The Lord Havers	13 June 1987
	The Lord Mackay of Clashfern	26 October 1987
Leader of the House of Commons	John Wakeham	13 June 1987	also Lord Privy Seal from June 1987 – January 1988, Lord President of the Council from January 1988 – July 1989
	Sir Geoffrey Howe	24 July 1989	also Lord President of the Council
	John MacGregor	2 November 1990	also Lord President of the Council
Leader of the House of Lords	The Viscount Whitelaw	June 1987	also Lord President of the Council
	The Lord Belstead	January 1988	also Lord Privy Seal
Lord President of the Council	The Viscount Whitelaw	June 1987	also Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the House of Lords
	John Wakeham	10 January 1988	also Leader of the House of Commons
	Sir Geoffrey Howe	24 July 1989	also Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons
	John MacGregor	2 November 1990	also Leader of the House of Commons
Minister of State for the Privy Council Office	Richard Luce	June 1987 – 24 July 1990
	David Mellor	24 July 1990 – 28 November 1990
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal	John Wakeham	13 June 1987	also Leader of the House of Commons
	The Lord Belstead	10 January 1988	also Leader of the House of Lords
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Nigel Lawson	June 1987
	John Major	26 October 1989
Chief Secretary to the Treasury	John Major	13 June 1987
	Norman Lamont	24 July 1989
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	David Waddington	13 June 1987
	Tim Renton	28 October 1989
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Norman Lamont	June 1987
	Peter Lilley	24 July 1989
	Hon. Francis Maude	23 July 1990
Economic Secretary to the Treasury	Peter Lilley	June 1987
	Richard Ryder	25 July 1989
	John Maples	23 July 1990
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury	Michael Neubert	June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	Peter Lloyd	June 1987 – 24 July 1988
	Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd	June 1987 – 25 July 1988
	Tony Durant	June 1987 – 19 December 1988
	David Lightbown	26 July 1987 – 24 July 1990
	Alan Howarth	27 July 1988 – 24 July 1989
	David Maclean	27 July 1988 – 24 July 1989
	Kenneth Carlisle	27 July 1988 – 22 July 1990
	Stephen Dorrell	20 December 1988 – 3 May 1990
	David Heathcoat-Amory	26 July 1989 – 28 October 1989
	John Taylor	26 July 1989 – 29 November 1990
	Tom Sackville	30 October 1989 – November 1990
	Michael Fallon	10 May 1990 – 22 July 1990
	Sydney Chapman	25 July 1990 – November 1990
	Greg Knight	25 July 1990 – November 1990
	Irvine Patnick	25 July 1990 – November 1990
Assistant Whips	Richard Ryder	June 1987 – July 1988
	Kenneth Carlisle	June 1987 – July 1988
	Stephen Dorrell	June 1987 – December 1988
	Alan Howarth	June 1987 – July 1988
	David Maclean	June 1987 – July 1988
	Tom Sackville	July 1988 – October 1989
	John Taylor	July 1988 – July 1989
	Michael Fallon	July 1988 – May 1990
	David Heathcoat-Amory	July 1988 – July 1989
	Sydney Chapman	December 1988 – July 1990
	Greg Knight	July 1989 – July 1990
	Irvine Patnick	July 1989 – July 1990
	Nicholas Baker	November 1989 -November 1990
	Timothy Wood	May 1990 – November 1990
	Timothy Kirkhope	July 1990 – November 1990
	Tim Boswell	July 1990 – November 1990
	Neil Hamilton	July 1990 – November 1990
Foreign Secretary	Sir Geoffrey Howe	June 1987
	John Major	14 June 1989
	Hon. Douglas Hurd	26 October 1989
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Lynda Chalker	June 1987 – November 1990	also Minister of Overseas Development from 24 July 1989
	Chris Patten	June 1987 – 24 July 1989	also Minister of Overseas Development
	David Mellor	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	The Lord Glenarthur	13 June 1987 – 24 July 1989
	Hon. William Waldegrave	26 July 1988 – 2 November 1990
	Hon. Francis Maude	24 July 1989 – 14 July 1990
	The Lord Brabazon of Tara	24 July 1989 – 24 July 1990
	The Earl of Caithness	14 July 1990 – November 1990
	Tristan Garel-Jones	14 July 1990 – November 1990
	Hon. Douglas Hogg	2 November 1990 – November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Timothy Eggar	June 1987
	Hon. Tim Sainsbury	24 July 1989
	Hon. Mark Lennox-Boyd	24 July 1990
Minister for Overseas Development	Chris Patten	June 1987	also Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
	Lynda Chalker	24 July 1989	also Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Home Secretary	Hon. Douglas Hurd	June 1987
	David Waddington	26 October 1989
Minister of State for Home Affairs	The Earl of Caithness	June 1987 – 10 January 1988
	Tim Renton	15 June 1987 – October 1989
	John Patten	13 June 1987 – November 1990
	The Earl Ferrers	10 January 1988 – November 1990
	David Mellor	27 October 1989 – 22 July 1990
	Angela Rumbold	23 July 1990 – November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs	Hon. Douglas Hogg	June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	Peter Lloyd	25 July 1989 – November 1990
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	John MacGregor	13 June 1987
	John Gummer	24 July 1989
Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	John Gummer	June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	The Baroness Trumpington	28 September 1989 – November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	Donald Thompson	June 1987 – 25 July 1989
	The Baroness Trumpington	13 June 1987 – 28 September 1989
	Richard Ryder	25 July 1988 – 14 July 1989
	David Curry	26 July 1989 – November 1990
	David Maclean	26 July 1989 – November 1990
Minister for the Arts	Richard Luce	June 1987
	David Mellor	26 July 1990
Secretary of State for Defence	Hon. George Younger	June 1987
	Tom King	24 July 1989
Minister of State for the Armed Forces	Ian Stewart	13 June 1987
	Hon. Archie Hamilton	25 July 1988
Minister of State for Defence Procurement	The Lord Trefgarne	June 1987
	Alan Clark	24 July 1989
Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces	Roger Freeman	June 1987 – 15 December 1988
	Michael Neubert	19 December 1988 – 23 July 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement	Hon. Tim Sainsbury	13 June 1987 – 25 July 1989
	The Earl of Arran	25 July 1989 – 26 July 1990
	Kenneth Carlisle	26 July 1990 – 28 November 1990
Secretary of State for Education	Kenneth Baker	June 1987
	John MacGregor	24 July 1989
	Kenneth Clarke	2 November 1990
Minister of State, Education and Science	Angela Rumbold	June 1987 – 24 July 1990
	Tim Eggar	24 July 1990
Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science	Bob Dunn	June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	The Baroness Hooper	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	Robert Jackson	13 June 1987 – 24 July 1990
	John Butcher	26 July 1988 – 24 July 1989
	Alan Howarth	24 July 1989 – November 1990
	Michael Fallon	24 July 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Employment	Norman Fowler	13 June 1987
	Michael Howard	3 January 1990
Minister of State, Employment	John Cope	13 June 1987 – 25 July 1989
	Timothy Eggar	25 July 1989 – 23 July 1990
Under-Secretary of State, Employment	John Lee	June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	Patrick Nicholls	13 June 1987 – 24 July 1990
	The Lord Strathclyde	26 July 1989 – 24 July 1990
	Robert Jackson	24 July 1990 – November 1990
	Eric Forth	24 July 1990 – November 1990
	The Viscount Ullswater	24 July 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Energy	Cecil Parkinson	13 June 1987
	John Wakeham	24 July 1989
Minister of State, Energy	Peter Morrison	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1990
Under-Secretary of State, Energy	Michael Spicer	13 June 1987 – 3 January 1990
	The Baroness Hooper	26 July 1988 – 28 July 1989
	Tony Baldry	3 January 1990 – 28 November 1990
	Hon. Colin Moynihan	24 July 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for the Environment	Hon. Nicholas Ridley	June 1987
	Chris Patten	24 July 1989
Minister of State for Local Government	Michael Howard	13 June 1987
	John Gummer	25 July 1988
	David Hunt	25 July 1989
	Michael Portillo	4 May 1990
Minister of State for Housing	Hon. William Waldegrave	13 June 1987
	The Earl of Caithness	25 July 1988
	Michael Howard	25 July 1989
	Michael Spicer	3 January 1990
Minister of State, Environment	The Lord Belstead	13 June 1987 – 10 January 1988
	The Earl of Caithness	10 January 1988 – 25 July 1988
	Michael Howard	25 July 1988 – 24 July 1989
	David Trippier	24 July 1989 – 28 November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Sport	Hon. Colin Moynihan	22 June 1987 – 26 July 1990
	Robert Atkins	26 July 1990 – 28 November 1990
Under-Secretary of State, Environment	Christopher Chope	June 1987 – 22 July 1990
	Marion Roe	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	David Trippier	13 June 1987 – 23 July 1989
	Virginia Bottomley	25 July 1988 – 28 October 1989
	The Lord Hesketh	31 January 1989 – 2 November 1990
	David Heathcoat-Amory	28 October 1989 – 28 November 1990
	Patrick Nicholls	26 July 1990 – 12 October 1990
	The Lord Strathclyde	26 July 1990 – 7 September 1990
	The Baroness Blatch	7 September 1990 – November 1990
	Robert Key	12 October 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Social Services	John Moore	13 June 1987	Reorganised into Office of Health and Office of Social Security 25 July 1988
Secretary of State for Health	Kenneth Clarke	25 July 1988
	Hon. William Waldegrave	2 November 1990
Minister of State, Health	Tony Newton	June 1987
	David Mellor	25 July 1988	under separate Office of Health
	The Lord Trafford	29 July 1989 – September 1989
	Virginia Bottomley	28 October 1989
Under-Secretary of State, Health and Social Security	Edwina Currie	June 1987 – 25 July 1988
	Michael Portillo	13 June 1987 – 25 July 1988
	The Lord Skelmersdale	13 June 1987 – 25 July 1988
Under-Secretary of State, Health	Edwina Currie	25 July 1988 – 16 December 1988
	Roger Freeman	16 December 1988 – 4 May 1990
	The Baroness Hooper	29 September 1989 – November 1990
	Stephen Dorrell	4 May 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Social Security	John Moore	25 July 1988
	Tony Newton	23 July 1989
Minister of State, Social Security	Nicholas Scott	13 June 1987	under separate Office of Social Security 25 July 1988
Under-Secretary of State, Social Security	The Lord Skelmersdale	25 July 1988 – 26 July 1989
	Peter Lloyd	25 July 1988 – 28 July 1989
	The Lord Henley	25 July 1989 – November 1990
	Gillian Shephard	25 July 1989 – 28 November 1990
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Kenneth Clarke	13 June 1987
	Tony Newton	25 July 1988
	Kenneth Baker	24 July 1989	also Chairman of the Conservative Party
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	Tom King	June 1987
	Hon. Peter Brooke	24 July 1989
Minister of State, Northern Ireland	John Stanley	13 June 1987 – 25 July 1988
	Ian Stewart	25 July 1988 – 25 July 1989
	John Cope	25 July 1989 – 28 November 1990
Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland	The Lord Lyell	June 1987 – 25 July 1989
	Richard Needham	June 1987 – April 1992
	Peter Viggers	June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	Brian Mawhinney	June 1987 – 28 November 1990
	Peter Bottomley	4 July 1989 – 28 July 1990
	The Lord Skelmersdale	24 July 1989 – 28 November 1990
Paymaster General	Hon. Peter Brooke	13 June 1987	also Chairman of the Conservative Party
	The Earl of Caithness	24 July 1989
	Richard Ryder	14 July 1990
Secretary of State for Scotland	Malcolm Rifkind	June 1987
Minister of State for Scotland	Ian Lang	13 June 1987 – 28 November 1990
	The Lord Sanderson of Bowden	13 June 1987 – 7 September 1990
	Michael Forsyth	7 September 1990 – November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland	Lord James Douglas-Hamilton	13 June 1987 – 6 July 1995
	Michael Forsyth	13 June 1987 – 7 September 1990
	The Lord Strathclyde	7 September 1990 – November 1990
Minister for Trade	Alan Clark	June 1987
	The Lord Trefgarne	25 July 1989
	Hon. Tim Sainsbury	23 July 1990
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry	The Lord Young of Graffham	13 June 1987
	Hon. Nicholas Ridley	24 July 1989
	Peter Lilley	14 July 1990
Minister for Industry	Hon. Douglas Hogg	24 July 1989
	The Lord Hesketh	2 November 1990
Minister for Corporate Affairs	John Redwood	2 November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry	John Butcher	June 1987 – 26 July 1988
	Robert Atkins	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	Hon. Francis Maude	13 June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	Eric Forth	26 July 1988 – 24 July 1990
	John Redwood	26 July 1989 – 2 November 1990
	Edward Leigh	2 November 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Transport	Paul Channon	13 June 1987
	Cecil Parkinson	24 July 1989
Minister of State, Transport	David Mitchell	June 1987 – 25 July 1988
	Michael Portillo	25 July 1988 – 4 May 1990
	Roger Freeman	4 May 1990 – 28 November 1990
	The Lord Brabazon of Tara	23 July 1990 – November 1990
Under-Secretary of State for Transport	Peter Bottomley	June 1987 – 24 July 1989
	The Lord Brabazon of Tara	June 1987 – 23 July 1989
	Robert Atkins	25 July 1989 – 22 July 1990
	Patrick McLoughlin	25 July 1989 – November 1990
	Christopher Chope	23 July 1990 – November 1990
Secretary of State for Wales	Peter Walker	13 June 1987
	David Hunt	4 May 1990
Minister of State for Wales	Wyn Roberts	15 June 1987
Under-Secretary of State for Wales	Ian Grist	15 June 1987 – 28 November 1990
Attorney General	Sir Patrick Mayhew	11 June 1987
Solicitor General	Nicholas Lyell	13 June 1987
Lord Advocate	The Lord Cameron of Lochbroom	June 1987
	The Lord Fraser of Carmyllie	4 January 1989
Solicitor General for Scotland	Peter Fraser	June 1987
	Alan Rodger	14 January 1989	Not an MP
Treasurer of the Household	David Hunt	15 June 1987
	Tristan Garel-Jones	25 July 1989
	Alastair Goodlad	22 July 1990
Comptroller of the Household	Hon. Robert Boscawen	June 1987
	Tristan Garel-Jones	26 July 1988
	Alastair Goodlad	25 July 1989
	Sir George Young, Bt	23 July 1990
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	Tristan Garel-Jones	June 1987
	Michael Neubert	26 July 1988
	Tony Durant	20 December 1988
	David Lightbown	25 July 1990
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	The Lord Denham	June 1987
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	The Viscount Davidson	June 1987
Lords-in-Waiting	The Viscount Long	June 1987 – November 1990
	The Lord Hesketh	June 1987 – January 1989
	The Lord Beaverbrook	June 1987 – 28 July 1988
	The Earl of Dundee	June 1987 – 26 July 1989
	The Earl of Arran	18 June 1987 – 24 July 1989
	The Lord Strathclyde	12 August 1988 – 24 July 1989
	The Lord Henley	13 February 1989 – 24 July 1989
	The Viscount Ullswater	26 July 1989 – 22 July 1990
	The Lord Reay	2 August 1989 – November 1990
	The Earl of Strathmore	2 August 1989 – November 1990
	The Baroness Blatch	15 January 1990 – 7 September 1990
	The Lord Cavendish of Furness	14 September 1990 – November 1990
	The Viscount Astor	11 October 1990 – November 1990

References

1. "Obituary: Margaret Thatcher". BBC News. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
2. "Thatcher fails to win party mandate". On This Day. BBC News. 20 November 1990. Retrieved 23 May 2018.

Sources

• Hennessy, Peter (2001). "A Tigress Surrounded by Hamsters: Margaret Thatcher, 1979–90". The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders since 1945. Penguin Group. ISBN   978-0-14-028393-8.
• "British Cabinet and Government Membership". Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
• "British Government 1979–2005". Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2007.

Preceded by Second Thatcher ministry	Government of the United Kingdom 1987–1990	Succeeded by First Major ministry