The British Conservative Party, the Cold War and the 1980 Olympic boycott

The Thatcher government’s (ultimately unsuccessful) call for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics generated a protracted debate in British politics and public life. This article explores one aspect of the dispute: the argument within the Conservative Party itself—at a time when Thatcher was vulnerable. It has three parts. First, it recounts the government’s developing position, discussing disagreement within its ranks. Second, it examines the position of the Conservative right-wing pressure group, the Monday Club, which argued that the boycott did not go far enough and that a military response was required. Third, it explores the attack on the government, from across the Conservative spectrum, for its willingness to use state power to try to enforce a boycott, which was seemingly at odds with its commitment to the “free society.”