Stella Rimington – later the Head of MI5

What goes around comes around.

Background Info:
Within the Cabinet of Margaret Thatcher’s Government there grew, over many years, a disgruntlement at her ever increasingly excessively forceful nature.

This came to a head when Sir Geoffrey Howe, one of Thatcher’s closest allies during the entire 1980s, gave a damning speech against her in the House of Commons.

Soon after, a stalking horse, the back bencher Sir Anthony Meyer, challenged Margaret Thatcher to a Leadership contest of the Conservative Party and therefore of her position as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Into the short list of candidates Michael Heseltine threw his political hat.

The resulting winner was neither Thatcher nor Heseltine but John Major. He therefore became both the Conservative Party Leader and also the new Prime Minister on November 27, 1990.

In 1992, Stella Rimington was appointed the Head of MI5 (Director General of the Security Service).

Background Info:
The EETPU (Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union) played a key role in the transformation of the newspaper publishing business’ working practices and move from Fleet Street to Wapping.

With many EETPU trade union members being employed by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation in place of sacked workers, forever changed was the newspaper industry in England and Wales. Gone were the former highly restrictive working practices and attitudes.

In 1992, Stella Rimington was appointed the Head of MI5 (Director General of the Security Service).

Background Info:
The NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) was the major player in three national miners’ strikes in Great Britain during 1972, 1974 and 1984-1985.

The first 2 strikes (1972 and 1974) toppled the Edward Heath government. It was forced into the Three-Day Week because of the effect that the Miners’ Strike had on the supply of power to industry and to households.

The third strike (1984-1985) severely weakened the NUM’s power and its ability to hold the country to ransom. After this strike, trade unions within Great Britain lost many members and lost considerable political clout.

In 1992, Stella Rimington was appointed the Head of MI5 (Director General of the Security Service).

What goes around comes around.

Background Info:
In February 1975, Margaret Thatcher challenged Edward Heath’s leadership of the Conservative Party, which by then was in Opposition. She won. Heath had been Leader of the Conservative Party in Great Britain since July 1965 and from 1970 to 1974 he had been the Prime Minister.

In 1992, Stella Rimington was appointed the Head of MI5 (Director General of the Security Service).