15. She Gained The Nickname "Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher" After Discontinuing A Free Milk For Schoolchildren Programme
Before becoming Prime Minister, Thatcher served as Edward Heath's Secretary of State for Education and Science - and was given strict orders to cut the administration's spending. After imposing brutal and strict cuts on the state-education system, Thatcher gained nationwide notoriety for abolishing free milk for schoolchildren aged between seven and 11. Thatcher claimed that very few children would suffer if schools were charged for the milk, but she did agree to give juveniles under seven a third of a pint of milk daily for nutritional purposes. Although it later emerged that Thatcher opposed the milk cuts but was forced into the policy by the Treasury, thanks to Labour propaganda she still became known as: "Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher." In fact, so damaging was the policy to her image that she later revealed in her autobiography that she contemplated leaving politics.
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.
