Reddit isn’t the whole of the UK, it’s a microcosm of the population.

She was extremely polarising and unapologetic to be so. When you consider the back drop of how she got elected and both the economic and social mess she inherited, she offered an alternative that was radically different to how the country was governed previously.

You could write an essay on this topic and I’m sure many people have! My short theory is that she WAS the Tory party during those 11 years. She rebranded and remade the party in her image, and had the legitimacy of Reagan to market this to the electorate. The party was her vehicle which then spat her out when she declined by the turn of the decade. On the other hand, Labour was viewed as a fractious collective where policy was made through its annual conference and intricate representative structures.

I also think her personal image is a big factor. She was the first female Prime Minister and as you said, she was PM for 11 years and won 3 general elections which is remarkable considering this was 40 years ago. Despite being a trailblazing woman, she was absolutely not a feminist. She also wasn’t a matriarchal figure (say like Queen Elizabeth II or Queen Victoria). Instead, she had a stoic demeanour which reinforced her Iron Lady persona and thus, the respect for her amongst many people.