Edward Heath and the denial of Thatcherism: between survival strategy and political struggle ; Edward Heath et le refus du thatchérisme : entre stratégie de survie et combat politique

Abstract

On 11 February 1975 Heath lost the election as leader of the Conservative Party and transferred his place to Margaret Thatcher. This date marks the anchor of a process of voluntary marginalisation through which Heath opposed Thatcher and rejected thatcherism. During the fifteen years of the Thatcher era, Heath took on the role of the revolted dissident and, according to John Campbell, became "the embodiment of anti-Thatcherism." We will see on this occasion that if his dissent company follows traditional mechanisms — denial of leadership, denial of legitimacy, systematic criticism of his action — it nevertheless offers an interesting reversal of the codes. Her entry into dissent was much more than an opposition to a political adversary, she was a means of life and renaissance. Power muted Heath, the dissent released him. Heath opposed himself and turned out to rebel. His dissent experience thus provides original insights into a concept too often associated with the concepts of oppression or clandestine. Heath was the only real resistance to Thatcher and there is still a key feature of dissent and rebellion in the British political landscape. It will be interesting to look at his years of revolt — not yet studied to date — and to see how he built his opposition to a leader that nothing seemed to reach and how it operated within a party known to be untolerant of acts of dissension and disloyalty. ; Le 11 février 1975 Heath perdit l'élection au poste de chef du Parti Conservateur et céda sa place à Margaret Thatcher. Cette date marque le point d'ancrage d'un processus de marginalisation volontaire au travers duquel Heath marqua son opposition à Thatcher et son refus du Thatchérisme. Pendant les quinze ans de l'ère Thatcher, Heath endossa le rôle du dissident révolté et devint selon John Campbell "the embodiment of anti-Thatcherism." Nous verrons à cette occasion que si son entreprise de dissidence suivit des mécanismes classiques – négation de l'autorité du leader, refus de sa légitimité, critique systématique de ...