The 1983 election had given the Conservatives a triple-digit majority, but within months a strong challenge to their power - and to the challenge posed by the Alliance - was showing as Foot stood down in favour of Neil Kinnock, who immediately reversed the party's hard-left turn. This resulted in a dramatic rise in Labour fortunes in the opinion polls - some of which showed them ahead of the Conservatives and the Alliance by March 1984. However, at least one opinion poll showed the Alliance ahead of the Conservatives and Labour as late as September 1985. By this stage, the recession had ended three years earlier and the battle against inflation had clearly been won; however unemployment - seen as a major factor in a string of inner city riots that autumn - was still above 3,000,000. With the economy further improving over the next 18 months and unemployment finally starting to fall, however, Thatcher felt confident to call a general election for 11 June 1987 - although the deadline for the election was 12 months later.