This thesis aims to understand why the Dutch centre-right governments between 1979 and 1989 - under the leadership of Dries van Agt and Ruud Lubbers - saw Great Britain as an ally on questions of...Show moreThis thesis aims to understand why the Dutch centre-right governments between 1979 and 1989 - under the leadership of Dries van Agt and Ruud Lubbers - saw Great Britain as an ally on questions of European integration during the 1980s. Political, economic, strategic, and personal contexts will be considered in the analysis.Show less
This thesis shows why the involvement of Princess Diana during the AIDS crisis was a step forward for the gay community. In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis wreaked havoc on the gay community in Britain....Show moreThis thesis shows why the involvement of Princess Diana during the AIDS crisis was a step forward for the gay community. In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis wreaked havoc on the gay community in Britain. Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party was in power during that decade and did very little to stop the homophobic British public from blaming the gay community for the AIDS crisis. However, there was a figure of importance who did care for homosexual AIDS patients. This was Princess Diana. Diana’s visits to the AIDS wards from 1987 onwards transformed her in the eyes of the gay community from just another princess who was part of the establishment to a gay icon. This image evolved even further when it became public knowledge that Diana had suffered from neglect and was treated like an outcast by her husband and the royal family. Diana received massive support from the gay community because the problems she faced during her marriage were all too familiar to many queer people. Tragically, Diana died in a car crash on 31 August 1997. However, even decades after her death the gay community still sees Diana as relatable. This is because Diana’s story is often portrayed in the media through a queer lens, which keeps her memory alive and seemingly makes her part of the gay community.Show less
The UK Conservative Party transitioned from a party that sought closer relations with the European continent, to a party that sought to leave the EU. This change in policy was caused by a change...Show moreThe UK Conservative Party transitioned from a party that sought closer relations with the European continent, to a party that sought to leave the EU. This change in policy was caused by a change within the dominant faction of the UK Conservative Party. The neoliberal faction of the party was replaced by the nationalist faction within the party over time. This process was sped up by the increasingly nationalist rhetoric of Thatcher, a lack of decisive neoliberal leadership following her premiership, and external electoral pressures such as the rise of UKIP. When Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative Party and sought to return to neoliberalism, the party had already reached a tipping point, and he was forced to grant concessions to rebellious backbench EMPs, further emboldening the nationalist faction. Eventually, the party resorted to holding the 'in-or-out' Brexit referendum that started the departure of the UK from the EU.Show less
This dissertation explains why the British government, in 1979, resettled Sino-Vietnamese refugees regardless of Margaret Thatcher’s initial inhospitableness towards them. Based on original...Show moreThis dissertation explains why the British government, in 1979, resettled Sino-Vietnamese refugees regardless of Margaret Thatcher’s initial inhospitableness towards them. Based on original research conducted in the United Kingdom’s National Archives, the dissertation’s findings are used to engage with academic debate on who and what directs refugee policy change. Thatcher’s hostility towards the Sino-Vietnamese refugees is uncovered to be due to personal racism and a fear of restrictive public opinion. Her views were formed by decades of animosity towards black and minority ethnic immigration in Britain by politicians and parts of the public. Meanwhile, Britain’s decision to relocate the refugees is discovered to be a consequence of territoriality. Hong Kong was, at the time, a British colony and Britain’s eventual involvement in the Indochinese crisis was to aid Hong Kong’s own refugee crisis. After the analysis, case studies of other refugee groups are used to make comparisons with the Sino-Vietnamese. These studies prove that legislation can influence refugee policy whilst international pressure and politics are proven to only guarantee success to nation-states that have strong international powers.Show less
An examination of private diplomatic and political contacts between the United States and Great Britain during the escalation of the Falklands conflict, from the ascent of the Galtieri government...Show moreAn examination of private diplomatic and political contacts between the United States and Great Britain during the escalation of the Falklands conflict, from the ascent of the Galtieri government in December 1981 till the final defeat of Argentina in June 1982. Newly released primary sources, often secret in nature, are used to investigate the consequences for the Anglo-American relationship.Show less
