Margaret Thatcher: our most consequential premier emeritus?

45 years ago today, Her Majesty The Queen appointed Margaret Thatcher prime minister. While both Lady Thatcher's appointment and premiership proved to be historic and consequential, so, too, did her post-prime ministership.

At the time of her resignation, Norman Tebbit said,  'There has never been a former prime minister like this one.' Events proved, and continue to prove, Tebbit right. For, as we argue in our study of Lady Thatcher's ex-premiership, there has never been a post-prime ministerial performance like Margaret Thatcher's.

As highlighted by our study's contents page, this covered:

1) philosophy (where Lady Thatcher was, and continues to be, the personification and representative of Thatcherism, both at home and across the world);

2) party (where Lady Thatcher played an active - then symbolic - role in Conservative leadership elections, appeared at and often upstaged the leadership at party conferences, took part in general election campaigns, added much to the febrile atmosphere of the 1990s in her relationship with Sir John Major, and added much to the gaiety of the (political) nation in her relationship with Sir Edward Heath);

3) policy (where Lady Thatcher had policy consequence across a range of areas after 1990, sometimes globally, most especially on the European Union, the former Yugoslavia, General Pinochet, and on Hong Kong and China); and

4) performance (where Lady Thatcher's skills as an actress and her performance of the character that was Margaret Thatcher not only provided entertainment, and masses of material for Private Eye covers and sketch-writers, but also contributed to her legacy).

Beyond those four Ps about Lady Thatcher personally, Lady Thatcher's post-prime ministership also had consequence for others, including for the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. 

Most especially it had long-term consequence for Lady Thatcher herself. Often her premiership has been seen through the prism of how she - and others - presented it after 1990. That has proved to be central to Lady Thatcher's legacy for and about herself. It helps to explain why politicians continued and continue to call Lady Thatcher in aid, and be compared with her, including sometimes by themselves. It is this aspect of her post-prime ministership that ensured Lady Thatcher's continued and continuing political relevance, 45 years after her appointment, almost 35 years after her resignation, and over ten years after her death.