Thatcher: The Downing Street Years Best of Enemies (Season 1, Episode 2)
TV Episode | Documentary, History

Thatcher: The Downing Street Years

Best of Enemies (Season 1, Episode 2)

TV Episode | Documentary, History

In her second term in office after victory in 1983, Mrs Thatcher's position seemed impregnable. Her conduct of the Falkland's war was popular, she had trounced Arthur Scargill and the striking miners, and had survived the bombing by the ...See moreIn her second term in office after victory in 1983, Mrs Thatcher's position seemed impregnable. Her conduct of the Falkland's war was popular, she had trounced Arthur Scargill and the striking miners, and had survived the bombing by the IRA of the Grand Hotel in Brighton. But all was not well: Cabinet Secretary Robert Armstrong and ex Chancellor Nigel Lawson are amongst those who recall the emnity between the Prime Minister and her Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine. Thatcher thought of him as 'over-poweringly ambitious and self-centred', and his handling of the Westland affair in 1986 only served to increase ill-feeling between the two, which reached its height with his challenge to her leadership in 1990. Written by CaldoTheKid See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
29 cast members

Name	Known for
Margaret Thatcher Self Self See fewer	SDI Star Wars (1991)
Philip Tibenham Self - Narrator (voice) Self - Narrator (voice) See fewer	Horizon (I) (1964)
Anthony Acland Self - Head of the Diplomatic Service 1982-1986 (as Sir Anthony Acland) Self - Head of the Diplomatic Service 1982-1986 (as Sir Anthony Acland) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Robert Armstrong Self - Cabinet Secretary, 1979-1987 (as Lord Armstrong) Self - Cabinet Secretary, 1979-1987 (as Lord Armstrong) See fewer	Reputations (1979)
Tony Benn Self (as Tony Benn MP) Self (as Tony Benn MP) See fewer	Folk Britannia (2006)
John Biffen Self - Leader of the House of Commons, 1982-1987 (as John Biffen MP) Self - Leader of the House of Commons, 1982-1987 (as John Biffen MP) See fewer	The Wolves of Kromer (1998)
Leon Brittan Self - Trade Secretary, 1985-1986 (as Sir Leon Brittan) Self - Trade Secretary, 1985-1986 (as Sir Leon Brittan) See fewer	This Week (1956)
Peter Carrington Self - Foreign Secretary 1979-1982 (as Lord Carrington) Self - Foreign Secretary 1979-1982 (as Lord Carrington) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Frank Cooper Self - Permanent Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence 1976-1982 (as Sir Frank Cooper) Self - Permanent Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence 1976-1982 (as Sir Frank Cooper) See fewer	Secret Society (1987)
Cynthia Crawford Self - Personal Assistant Self - Personal Assistant See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Denis Healey Self - Shadow Foreign Secretary 1980-1987 (as Lord Healey) Self - Shadow Foreign Secretary 1980-1987 (as Lord Healey) See fewer	Denis Healey: The Best Prime Minister Labour Never Had? (2015)
Michael Heseltine Self - Defence Secretary, 1983-1986 (as Michael Heseltine MP) Self - Defence Secretary, 1983-1986 (as Michael Heseltine MP) See fewer	Anyone for Pennis? (1995)
Bernard Ingham Self - Mrs. Thatcher's Press Secretary, 1979-1990 (as Sir Bernard Ingham) Self - Mrs. Thatcher's Press Secretary, 1979-1990 (as Sir Bernard Ingham) See fewer	Brass Eye (1997)
Neil Kinnock Self - Leader of the Labour Party, 1983-1992 (as Neil Kinnock MP) Self - Leader of the Labour Party, 1983-1992 (as Neil Kinnock MP) See fewer	Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)
Nigel Lawson Self - Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1983-1989 (as Lord Lawson) Self - Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1983-1989 (as Lord Lawson) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Terence Lewin Self - Chief of Defence Staff, 1979-1982 (as Lord Lewin) Self - Chief of Defence Staff, 1979-1982 (as Lord Lewin) See fewer	The Real... (1998)
Ian MacGregor Self - Chairman, National Coal Board 1983-1986 (as Sir Ian MacGregor) Self - Chairman, National Coal Board 1983-1986 (as Sir Ian MacGregor) See fewer	Dispatches (1987)
Alistair McAlpine Self - Conservative Party Chairman, 1983-1990 (as Lord McAlpine) Self - Conservative Party Chairman, 1983-1990 (as Lord McAlpine) See fewer	Lord of the Bush (1990)
Emma Nicholson Self (as Emma Nicholson MP) Self (as Emma Nicholson MP) See fewer	This Week (1956)
Michael Palliser Self - Head of the Diplomatic Service, 1975-1982 (as Sir Michael Palliser) Self - Head of the Diplomatic Service, 1975-1982 (as Sir Michael Palliser) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Cecil Parkinson Self - Chairman of the Conservative Party, 1981-1983 (as Lord Parkinson) Self - Chairman of the Conservative Party, 1981-1983 (as Lord Parkinson) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Charles Powell Self - Mrs. Thatcher's Private Secretary, 1984-1990 (as Sir Charles Powell) Self - Mrs. Thatcher's Private Secretary, 1984-1990 (as Sir Charles Powell) See fewer	The Pathfinder (1996)
Dave Prendergast Self - Notts UDM, 1984-1993 Self - Notts UDM, 1984-1993 See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)
Francis Pym Self - Foreign Secretary 1982-1983 (as Lord Pym) Self - Foreign Secretary 1982-1983 (as Lord Pym) See fewer	This Week (1956)
Henry Richardson Self - General Secretary, Notts NUM 1984 Self - General Secretary, Notts NUM 1984 See fewer	Dispatches (1987)
Nicholas Ridley Self - Transport Secretary, 1983-1986 (as Lord Ridley) Self - Transport Secretary, 1983-1986 (as Lord Ridley) See fewer	This Week (1956)
Robert Runcie Self - Archbishop of Canterbury, 1980-1991 (as Lord Runcie) Self - Archbishop of Canterbury, 1980-1991 (as Lord Runcie) See fewer	Songs of Praise (1961)
Norman Tebbit Self - Trade Secretary, 1983-1985 (as Lord Tebbit) Self - Trade Secretary, 1983-1985 (as Lord Tebbit) See fewer	People, Politics & Planes
William Whitelaw Self - Deputy Prime Minister, 1979-1988 (as Lord Whitelaw) Self - Deputy Prime Minister, 1979-1988 (as Lord Whitelaw) See fewer	Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993)