The lady's not for turning." - Meaning and context.">
Reacting to doubt over her economic policies at a Conservative Party Conference (10 October 1980)
• A play on The Lady's Not for Burning, a 1948 play by Christopher Fry about a witchcraft trial.

To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. [laughter] The lady's not for turning.

— Margaret Thatcher

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. [laughter] The lady's not for turning." in the context of "Reacting to doubt over her economic policies at a Conservative Party Conference (10 October 1980)
• A play on The Lady's Not for Burning, a 1948 play by Christopher Fry about a witchcraft trial." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Margaret Thatcher" (Quotes, First term as Prime Minister) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Margaret Thatcher

About Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013) was a British politician and stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime minister and the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. As prime minister, she implemented neoliberal economic policies of deregulation and privatization that became known as Thatcherism. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style.