The new cabinet appointments which attracted the most comments were those of Margaret Thatcher as Chancellor of Exchequer, and Nicholas Scott as Northern Ireland Secretary.
With Maudling expected to resign as Prime Minister in the next two to three years, Thatcher was now a serious contender for the Tory leadership. As Environment Secretary, she was responsible for the government's popular policy of selling council houses to their tenants at discounted prices. Television news stories of her handing over the keys of council houses to the tenants who had bought them, gained her favourable publicity.
Scott's mother, Teresa Mary (nee Murphy), was an Irish Catholic. He was sympathetic to a united Ireland and in favour of a power sharing government in Northern Ireland. His appointment was denounced by the Democratic Unionists, and met with coolness by the Ulster Unionists. Unlike in OTL there were no IRA hunger strikes and resulting deaths, but the campaign of violence by republicans and loyalists was still happening.
With Maudling expected to resign as Prime Minister in the next two to three years, Thatcher was now a serious contender for the Tory leadership. As Environment Secretary, she was responsible for the government's popular policy of selling council houses to their tenants at discounted prices. Television news stories of her handing over the keys of council houses to the tenants who had bought them, gained her favourable publicity.
Scott's mother, Teresa Mary (nee Murphy), was an Irish Catholic. He was sympathetic to a united Ireland and in favour of a power sharing government in Northern Ireland. His appointment was denounced by the Democratic Unionists, and met with coolness by the Ulster Unionists. Unlike in OTL there were no IRA hunger strikes and resulting deaths, but the campaign of violence by republicans and loyalists was still happening.