Let's face it folks over the past many years none of the MP's and MP's have really been all that bothered what happened to the likes of the poor, ill, needy and disabled, they all juggle the unemployment figures to make their training scheme look as though its working. The political parties in this country seem to be only interested in keeping themselves in power and/or opposition for the wages and expences and generally don't give a damb about the sffering masses. I have been alive long enough to remember as far back as heath and wilson and see that very little has really changed.
The motto we need at the moment is 'It Has Been Tried Before. And It Didn't Work Then. so Why Would It Work Now. I remember my granny saying that in about somethig or other that was being nationalised, by labout. and another old boy who said it about Thatchers plans to privatise the utilities.
In my view what this country has needed for over half a century is a period of stability, the trouble is that with every new MP in a job these days changes seem to be made to how things are done, and what we are able to claim or not claim. (Sorry I have rambled) but its the same every time Change for change sake in business and politics is always a bad thing and usuallyvery costly (as shown by the welfare bill/costs to the state) they are still rising.
How can someone "universally despised" by the public win 3 general elections, or are you saying she only won because the opposition were so bad each time that people had no option but to vote for someone they "despised"...?
Try reading the rest of what I said and you will see how.
I was there too, and I remember no such thing. Universally despised by the public? Utter rubbish.
Thatcher's problem was that she polarised opinion.
If you lived in an area that prospered under her governance, you thought she was the bee's knees.
If you didn't, chances are either you hated her, or knew plenty of people who did.
I think it is fair to say that she was pretty much universally despised by the people of many formerly prosperous industrial and mining towns of the North East, many of whom were never militant, and were simply caught in the crossfire.
There were many other areas in the NE which went Tory during the 1980s though, so it wasn't a north/south thing.
The 'landslide' governments induced by FPTP may cause some people to deduce that she was loved by the majority, but this does not reflect the views of many millions of people.
FWIW, my parents thought she was brilliant; lots of lovely overtime for the police. Hardly a memory to cherish though IMO.
She stopped being PM 23 years ago - how are today's problems entirely her fault?!
Surely Blair/Brown had 13 years to change things - so why didn't they?
This is of course 100,000,000% true - but the fact Bliar invited the old crone to Downing St pretty much answers that, the war mongering nutjob was a fan.
She pissed a lot of money from the North Sea Oil reserves.
She sold off British assets. I don't know any ordinary person who owns shares of the denationalised industries. Most of our industries are owned by rich foreigners. Her policies made millions of people jobless and to hide the jobless figures she introduced DLA for the sick and disabled. Isn't it ironic that the day Ian Duncan Smith takes it away introduces PIP for Northerners, Thatcher dies.
Because of her my gas and electricity bills are high. These foreign companies do not invest in Britain because they like us. They do it to make a profit for themselves. Never understood the Electricity (EDF) is owned by the French and not the Brits.
Good job I dont have depend on government handouts. But feel for the thousands of lives she destroyed.:(
She stopped being PM 23 years ago - how are today's problems entirely her fault?!
Surely Blair/Brown had 13 years to change things - so why didn't they?
Don't you know? I suggest you do your own research or ask some from Durham how their life panned out because of Thatcher. Oh and don't ask me for links.
Well he would say that wouldn't he! Interesting how many of her changes were kept by the labour party, so it is the usual hypocracy.
Look at the state his beloved Labour party left the country in and look at how affluent this country was in the 80's after she cleaned up the mess left for her. That is why dispite the grumbling we all did over her austerity measures we re-elected her two more times, Brits had the guts to see it through, and when she repaired the damage she gave back. At least under her rule we had a boom to enjoy before the bust.
As for the unions, did he agree with the way they operated closed shops, where to get a job in manufacturing you had to join a union, you had to strike or risk violent intimidation. Does he remember all public services on strike, the 3 day weeks, the power cuts?
She stopped being PM 23 years ago - how are today's problems entirely her fault?!
Surely Blair/Brown had 13 years to change things - so why didn't they?
The malaise started under her foot.
To her credit Thatcher nullified the Labour party, so much so that they needed to shift centre to appeal towards others. Labour 97 is not the same as Labour 20.
So Major, Blair, Brown and Cameron have created no problems since 1990? She made mistakes like all PM's but to blame her for all the problems we have today, no I don't buy it.
Well he would say that wouldn't he! Interesting how many of her changes were kept by the labour party, so it is the usual hypocracy.
Look at the state his beloved Labour party left the country in and look at how affluent this country was in the 80's after she cleaned up the mess left for her. That is why dispite the grumbling we all did over her austerity measures we re-elected her two more times, Brits had the guts to see it through, and when she repaired the damage she gave back. At least under her rule we had a boom to enjoy before the bust.
As for the unions, did he agree with the way they operated closed shops, where to get a job in manufacturing you had to join a union, you had to strike or risk violent intimidation. Does he remember all public services on strike, the 3 day weeks, the power cuts?
That is no longer the case thanks to Thatcher. To get a job in manufacturing you now have to emigrate.
She broke the back of militant union power, unfortunately we we were left with the utter shite management that allowed it to flourish in the first place.
She destroyed vast swaths of British industry due to a high exchange rate policy. It needed time to modernize to compete in the world. She killed it stone dead.
Right to buy? It's why we have a housing crises today. Might have been OK if the councils were allowed to build more houses with the money, but they were not.
Falklands war? It's why she got elected the second time, but it was government cuts that encouraged the Argentinians in the first place. Did the right thing but a bit of foresight would have meant she wouldn't have had too. I was 24 at the time, I knew they were going to invade so why not the government?
She did however reduce taxation from silly amounts, and there was a feeling at the time that you could get on and achieve something, no mater what class you came from. This seems to be slipping away today
Don't you know? I suggest you do your own research or ask some from Durham how their life panned out because of Thatcher. Oh and don't ask me for links.
You mean that now young men in Durham don't have to risk their lives and health going down coalmines - and risk emphysema and worse when they get old?
And if I recollect we had a PM for a decade post Thatcher who represented a County Durham seat - was he powerless to change the situation.
Perhaps people should take some personal responsibilty for their lives and situation - rather than blaming it on the government all the time. We seem to think now its the government's job to solve every problem.
Well he would say that wouldn't he! Interesting how many of her changes were kept by the labour party, so it is the usual hypocracy.
Look at the state his beloved Labour party left the country in and look at how affluent this country was in the 80's after she cleaned up the mess left for her. That is why dispite the grumbling we all did over her austerity measures we re-elected her two more times, Brits had the guts to see it through, and when she repaired the damage she gave back. At least under her rule we had a boom to enjoy before the bust.
As for the unions, did he agree with the way they operated closed shops, where to get a job in manufacturing you had to join a union, you had to strike or risk violent intimidation. Does he remember all public services on strike, the 3 day weeks, the power cuts?
Regarding the big three parties, they are all the same. No politican has the balls to stick through a principled set of agendas. Because if you are seen different, you won't get anywhere. Thatcher is one of a kind, divisive and she had more balls than Blair and Cameron.
Labour made minor changes in 1997: banks were deregulated first and foremost and they focused on home affairs as a priority which made the difference in later years.
Well he would say that wouldn't he! Interesting how many of her changes were kept by the labour party, so it is the usual hypocracy.
Look at the state his beloved Labour party left the country in and look at how affluent this country was in the 80's after she cleaned up the mess left for her. That is why dispite the grumbling we all did over her austerity measures we re-elected her two more times, Brits had the guts to see it through, and when she repaired the damage she gave back. At least under her rule we had a boom to enjoy before the bust.
As for the unions, did he agree with the way they operated closed shops, where to get a job in manufacturing you had to join a union, you had to strike or risk violent intimidation. Does he remember all public services on strike, the 3 day weeks, the power cuts?
3 day week was introduced by a Conservative government, not one of the best I grant you, but Edward Heath was a Conservative.
Meanwhile, Baroness Thatcher's policies were called "fundamentally wrong" by former London mayor Ken Livingstone.
He told Sky News the former Conservative prime minister was responsible for "every real problem" faced in the UK today, as he claimed she had led millions of people out of work.
Mr Livingstone said: "Of course she was popular, she was offering people their homes at a cut price. But she didn't build any houses.
"She created today's housing crisis, she produced the banking crisis, she created the benefits crisis. It was her government that started putting people on incapacity benefits rather than register them as unemployed because the Britain she inherited was broadly at full employment.
"She decided when she wrote off our manufacturing industry that she could live with two or three million unemployed and the legacy of that, the benefits bill that we are still struggling with today.
"In actual fact, every real problem we face today is the legacy of the fact she was fundamentally wrong."
"Every problem we face today is linked to Thatcher."..This is true.
She broke the back of militant union power, unfortunately we we were left with the utter shite management that allowed it to flourish in the first place.
She destroyed vast swaths of British industry due to a high exchange rate policy. It needed time to modernize to compete in the world. She killed it stone dead.
Right to buy? It's why we have a housing crises today. Might have been OK if the councils were allowed to build more houses with the money, but they were not.
Falklands war? It's why she got elected the second time, but it was government cuts that encouraged the Argentinians in the first place. Did the right thing but a bit of foresight would have meant she wouldn't have had too. I was 24 at the time, I knew they were going to invade so why not the government?
She did however reduce taxation from silly amounts, and there was a feeling at the time that you could get on and achieve something, no mater what class you came from. This seems to be slipping away today
It certainly is. There is more of a class divide than there ever was IMO.
That is no longer the case thanks to Thatcher. To get a job in manufacturing you now have to emigrate.
Nope not Thatcher, that's more about free market economics and greedy shareholders.
Companies offshore can exploit cheaper labour, have little or no environmental legislation and cheaper fuel. At least in the short term, long term the penny drops that it isn't such a great idea.
Nope not Thatcher, that's more about free market economics and greedy shareholders.
Companies offshore can exploit cheaper labour, have little or no environmental legislation and cheaper fuel. At least in the short term, long term the penny drops that it isn't such a great idea.
Comments
I take it you're another one who was told to hate her, but you have no idea why. :rolleyes:
The motto we need at the moment is 'It Has Been Tried Before. And It Didn't Work Then. so Why Would It Work Now. I remember my granny saying that in about somethig or other that was being nationalised, by labout. and another old boy who said it about Thatchers plans to privatise the utilities.
In my view what this country has needed for over half a century is a period of stability, the trouble is that with every new MP in a job these days changes seem to be made to how things are done, and what we are able to claim or not claim. (Sorry I have rambled) but its the same every time Change for change sake in business and politics is always a bad thing and usuallyvery costly (as shown by the welfare bill/costs to the state) they are still rising.
Try reading the rest of what I said and you will see how.
I'd start with her patronising and condescending tone. The way she spoke about good sections of society like they were pieces of sh@t.
North Korea.
So basically, you don't have anything. Thought so.
Thatcher's problem was that she polarised opinion.
If you lived in an area that prospered under her governance, you thought she was the bee's knees.
If you didn't, chances are either you hated her, or knew plenty of people who did.
I think it is fair to say that she was pretty much universally despised by the people of many formerly prosperous industrial and mining towns of the North East, many of whom were never militant, and were simply caught in the crossfire.
There were many other areas in the NE which went Tory during the 1980s though, so it wasn't a north/south thing.
The 'landslide' governments induced by FPTP may cause some people to deduce that she was loved by the majority, but this does not reflect the views of many millions of people.
FWIW, my parents thought she was brilliant; lots of lovely overtime for the police. Hardly a memory to cherish though IMO.
Surely Blair/Brown had 13 years to change things - so why didn't they?
This is of course 100,000,000% true - but the fact Bliar invited the old crone to Downing St pretty much answers that, the war mongering nutjob was a fan.
She sold off British assets. I don't know any ordinary person who owns shares of the denationalised industries. Most of our industries are owned by rich foreigners. Her policies made millions of people jobless and to hide the jobless figures she introduced DLA for the sick and disabled. Isn't it ironic that the day Ian Duncan Smith takes it away introduces PIP for Northerners, Thatcher dies.
Because of her my gas and electricity bills are high. These foreign companies do not invest in Britain because they like us. They do it to make a profit for themselves. Never understood the Electricity (EDF) is owned by the French and not the Brits.
Good job I dont have depend on government handouts. But feel for the thousands of lives she destroyed.:(
Don't you know? I suggest you do your own research or ask some from Durham how their life panned out because of Thatcher. Oh and don't ask me for links.
Look at the state his beloved Labour party left the country in and look at how affluent this country was in the 80's after she cleaned up the mess left for her. That is why dispite the grumbling we all did over her austerity measures we re-elected her two more times, Brits had the guts to see it through, and when she repaired the damage she gave back. At least under her rule we had a boom to enjoy before the bust.
As for the unions, did he agree with the way they operated closed shops, where to get a job in manufacturing you had to join a union, you had to strike or risk violent intimidation. Does he remember all public services on strike, the 3 day weeks, the power cuts?
To her credit Thatcher nullified the Labour party, so much so that they needed to shift centre to appeal towards others. Labour 97 is not the same as Labour 20.
That is no longer the case thanks to Thatcher. To get a job in manufacturing you now have to emigrate.
She destroyed vast swaths of British industry due to a high exchange rate policy. It needed time to modernize to compete in the world. She killed it stone dead.
Right to buy? It's why we have a housing crises today. Might have been OK if the councils were allowed to build more houses with the money, but they were not.
Falklands war? It's why she got elected the second time, but it was government cuts that encouraged the Argentinians in the first place. Did the right thing but a bit of foresight would have meant she wouldn't have had too. I was 24 at the time, I knew they were going to invade so why not the government?
She did however reduce taxation from silly amounts, and there was a feeling at the time that you could get on and achieve something, no mater what class you came from. This seems to be slipping away today
You mean that now young men in Durham don't have to risk their lives and health going down coalmines - and risk emphysema and worse when they get old?
And if I recollect we had a PM for a decade post Thatcher who represented a County Durham seat - was he powerless to change the situation.
Perhaps people should take some personal responsibilty for their lives and situation - rather than blaming it on the government all the time. We seem to think now its the government's job to solve every problem.
Labour made minor changes in 1997: banks were deregulated first and foremost and they focused on home affairs as a priority which made the difference in later years.
3 day week was introduced by a Conservative government, not one of the best I grant you, but Edward Heath was a Conservative.
"Every problem we face today is linked to Thatcher."..This is true.
It certainly is. There is more of a class divide than there ever was IMO.
Companies offshore can exploit cheaper labour, have little or no environmental legislation and cheaper fuel. At least in the short term, long term the penny drops that it isn't such a great idea.
A lot of manufacturing is moving back to the uk
http://www.martins-rubber.co.uk/news/british-businesses-moving-manufacturing-back-to-uk.html
and yet the poor are richer.