After Margaret Thatcher’s death in 2013, the UK saw a debate about her legacy. Supporters of the former Prime Minister bought “I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher,” while opponents pushed for “Ding Dong! The witch is dead.” The latter sold over 50,000 copies and reached number 2 on the charts, while the former failed to reach 9,000. Some criticized the promotion of the song, including a Cabinet Office minister and a Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz. Thatcher was the first woman to become British Prime Minister and led the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.
When you’ve spent most of your adult life in the public eye, you’re bound to have gained a few fans and a few detractors, even in death. In 2013, when British politician Margaret Thatcher died at the age of 87, radio stations and record charts in the UK became public forums for debate about her legacy.
Citizens who were apparently happy to get rid of the woman who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990 pushed for the reproduction and purchase of “Ding Dong! The witch is dead”, from the soundtrack of The Wizard of Oz. Opponents fought back by promoting the Notsensibles’ 1979 tune “I’m in Love with Margaret Thatcher.”
While probably not truly indicative of audience sentiment, the sales figures favored “Ding Dong!” by a wide margin. In fact, the song has sold more than 50,000 copies and reached number 2 on the charts, becoming the first song in under 60 seconds to reach such peaks. Meanwhile, the Notsensibles’ song didn’t fare so well, with sales failing to reach 9,000.
Thatcher, nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her strong leadership style, was the first woman to become British prime minister and to lead a major political party: she was head of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.
Francis Maude, a Cabinet Office minister who oversaw the funeral arrangements, clearly thought the song contest had failed to show due respect to Thatcher. “I just think doing it in the wake of an old lady’s death doesn’t reflect very well on us,” he said. That sentiment was shared by Ruth Duccini, who played a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz. Duccini said he found the promotion of the song regrettable. “No one deserves to be treated like this,” she said. “When we were making the film nobody intended it to be used this way. I’m ashamed, really.”
Read more about Margaret Thatcher:
Thatcher grew up in a small flat with no running water, toilet or central heating.
Among her lesser-known nicknames, Thatcher was once called “Thatcher, the Milk Snatcher,” for finishing a free school milk scheme.
Thatcher preferred skirts and dresses to trousers and always wore a pearl necklace with every outfit.
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