Margaret Thatcher’s Speech ‘the Lady’s Not For Turning’: The Discourse Of Determination And Political Authority

Abstract

The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s speech ‘The Lady’s Not for Turning’ is a significant demonstration of the leader’s power in using metaphorical language to construct a resolute political persona in a moment of crisis. Though many studies focused exclusively on the political content of the speech from a historical perspective, this article examines Thatcher’s political communication and the inherent messages embedded in her political discourse. Particularly, it highlights how language as a political tool for leaders can serve multiple functions including policy legitimation via linguistic framing and identity construction through rhetorical formation. To achieve this purpose, Critical Discourse Analysis is used as a research methodology to investigate the linguistic strategies used by Thatcher. Norman Fairclough discourse theory is used as a framework for analysing Thatcher’s leadership style which fuses language, power, and ideology. The result of the study reveals Thatcher’s strategic use of language to dismiss critics and maintain authority as the first female Premier in Britain.