ABSTRACT
The pattern of government in Britain over the quarter of a century seemed to confirm that it was essentially a two-party affair. It would be the party which provided the political framework for late-twentieth-century Britain. The Callaghan government had survived longer than many had predicted, but now it became the first administration to be voted out of office in the Commons since the first Labour government in October 1924. On 4 May, after a campaign which Callaghan appeared not to believe he could win, he conceded victory to Margaret Thatcher. The first woman Prime Minister in British history was determined that she would leave her distinctive mark in other respects too. The defeats suffered by the Conservative Party in 1974 had not left it in a happy condition. It did not seem that the electorate was impressed by Labour's manifesto commitment to a non-nuclear defence policy and withdrawal from the European Community, not to mention further nationalization and central planning.
