The Right Honourable Grace Tyler, Baroness Tyler of Enfield (born 1948) was Leader of the Conservative Party (1975–1984) and Prime Minister from 1976 to 1981 and from 1982 to 1984.
Early Career edit
Tyler joined parliament just before 1970, after winning the Finchley seat in a by-election. In 1970, Prince Lawrence, leading the Conservative Party, won a landslide victory. Tyler was included in the new cabinet as Environment Secretary, and began to make her mark on the party in her own way. Tyler was very vocal in cabinet meetings, and quickly began popular among leaders and the dominant right-wing backbenchers. Her policies and strong stance on family, faith and monarchy made a brilliant combination to be a leader in the future.
However, with the 250 seat majority Prince Lawrence won, it seemed like his position was unshakable, and so any chance of becoming leader was far off. Along with it, there were many ‘strong’ women like her in higher posts; Victoria Kettering and Katherine Weeks were both considered ambitious.
During 1974, things began to change. The government's social policy was very badly co-ordinated and huge pubic demonstrations over the state religion saw the popularity of the government plumeted. MPs began leaving the Conservatives and setting up the Royalist Party and BNP. By the time of the election, the Conservative majority had been reduced by more than 100 seats by defections and by-elections. It seemed that the Royalists would win the 1975 General Election, and that was sealed when Victoria Kettering defected to the Royalists.