Thatcherism, Class Politics, and Urban Development in London

Abstract

This paper uses class analysis to explore the politics of urban development in London in the 1980s. It shows how the Thatcher government's economic and urban policies had the strategic effect of shaping economic restructuring in the city and transforming the sociological bases of class politics. The broad impact of Thatcherism in London is discussed, with particular attention being paid to the financial district ("the City") and the Docklands. The paper concludes with a discussion of the struggle between the Thatcher government and the London Labour Party which culminated in the "poll tax."