17. She Was The First Oxford-Educated Prime Minister Since World War II Not To Be Given An Honorary Degree... In Protest At Her Higher-Education Cuts
Since the end of World War II in 1945, there have been nine British Prime Ministers who were educated at Oxford - with the first six all being awarded honorary degrees. However, Margaret Thatcher became the first Oxford-educated Prime Minister not to be given an honorary degree, and that was in protest at her higher-education cuts, despite the fact she achieved a second-class honours degree in chemistry at Somerville College in 1947. Clement Attlee, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Edward Heath and Howard Wilson had all been given doctorates - but the University of Oxford voted 738 to 319 against awarding Thatcher an honorary doctorate of civil law following a 5,000-signature student petition in January 1985. The main criticism of Thatcher was her decision to cut funding for scientific research, which many at Oxford described as having reached "crisis level" under her premiership.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
