Other Margaret Thatcher Dies

Im 21. So the same age as a number of those out partying in the streets.

I can base an opinion on reading plenty of sources due to an interest in politics well prior to her death and having a family history in politics. And yes, I would say I was brought up in the most Conservative manner possible, but I still disagree with things she did too... she took privitisation way too far... thought it wasn't helped by subsequent governments not ring fencing deals, and not promoting British Industry over slightly cheaper foreign alternatives.

 

Yes, when she came in it was around 10% (and falling) and just in time for the next election it was about 5%.

Funny how the blues forget that instead of continuing to fall, initially, inflation rose to around 20% during her time and unemployment shot up.

Super times.

 

Yet still in a better condition than when she was first elected.

 

OK - thanks for the clarification. It's refreshing that at least a few of the younger people fiercly defending either side, actually might have a inkling as to what they are talking about. Precisely the reason I don't wade in.

 

Reading about something is not the same as living it.

 

Been a while since I posted on these forums but have been lurking for a while and this topic drove me back to a post.

I shan't be mourning Thatcher, I shan't be celebrating either as that's not my style but I certainly understand anyone that does celebrate. She caused a lot of damage not just in the UK but around the world and the sycophantic media attention this is getting is annoying me, so much history being rewritten.

When she came to power the uniones were too powerful, our industry was inefficient and something had to be done. It was the principles of what she done that gets to people, it's the how it was done. She essentially goaded the miners unions into a war in order to bring the unions and the industry down. She didn't need to go that far (oh and Scargill if just as responsible for letting his ego get in the way and wanting to bring down another government) but she did. There were plenty profitable mines throughout the country that were shut down in her class war.

She covered up police failings at Hillsbrough to get the police onside (along with pay rises for the police and soldiers) for battling the miners.

She systematically shut down heavy industry in this country with nothing to replace it. We are still seeing the effects of that to this day. Other countries such as France and Germany had inefficient heavy industry just like we did but they managed it much more humanely and sensibly.

She allowed people to buy their council houses which was great for people buying them but terrible for the councils who were left with no way to replenish the loss of the homes for future generations and again we are feeling the effects of this today. High house prices, high rent prices, money from housing benefits going to private landlords, insufficient supply of social housing can all be traced back to selling the council houses previously.

Micheal Forsyth was on TV the other day saying she helped end apartheid - bull fecking ****. She opposed boycotts against South Africa, branded Mandela a terrorist and supported the SOuth African state. SHe also supported the lovely cuddly General Pinochet and the Khmer Rouge.

She started the privatisation for the sake of privatising. Some industries worked out well like BT but others such as the Royal Mail, water companies in ENgland and Wales, rail were disasters which amounted to the country selling it's resources for bugger all benefit.

When she retired she set up a charity that promotes free market enterprise and liberalism throughout the world (how is that a fecking charity?) and took on a job to promote smoking in third world countries and eastern europe.

Unfortunately her biggest legacy was the birth of New Labour and the continuation of her policies in the three mian UK political parties.

 

Hang on a mo'..


..who's Cher?


teehee

 

This is just as relevant to the Thatcher years and still is today as it was when it was said,and yes I did live the thatcher years actively campaigning for both the miners and as a life member of CND I am now an active member of north staffs against the cuts and Disabled people against Cuts

An abridged quote of Aneurin "Nye" Bevan, given during a speech at the Bellvue Hotel on 3 July 1948, two days before the National Health Service came into being at Park Hospital in Manchester. The full quote: "That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through. But, I warn you young men and women, do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions of Lord Woolton. He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were.

The TORIE TOFFS ARE VERMIN in my humble opinion if some of you dont like what im saying tough I say it as it is as I believe in good old fashioned honesty

 

"She covered up police failings at Hillsbrough to get the police onside" As a Liverpool fan and from Merseyside, I know that a hell of a lot of fans want this to be the case. However, the independent commission set up found no evidence of it at all.

 

Edit: Ignore.. can't even be bothered to troll..

 

She took the police story at the scene that it was caused by drunken Liverpool fans with no tickets as gospel, didn't question it and refused calls for an enquiry.

 

I fear your the only Tory I could actually like as a person.

Politically I don't side with any party I merely look at what the parties are offering at the time of election, like everybody should and drop political loyalty all together.

The unions were taking the piss pre thatcher years, and it was down to the greed of Union leaders, but also down to greed of Industry owners and a balance was never struck, causing strikes and the 3 day week which could never end well. If you give in to terms they'll only come back for more and thus human greed sets in.

A vast issue in the UK is what I would call the "invisible class divide", where by people who would appear to well off are up to there eye's in debt. For instance buying a car on finance, or an expensive mobile phone contract. If your cost of living exceeds 50% of your take home then you've got issues. As you won't net enough for your forced retirement at 65, resulting in a requirement for state welfare, which this government is trying to reform... (not saying whether I like their decisions).

More and more young people are having to rely on bank of Mum and Dad, and despite which government is in power it's an issue that is yet to be resolved.

House prices need slashing to boost the market, there being kept high as the banks need to recover there assets, property should grow in value but based upon surrounding demand of the area. For instance my parents house was purchased in 1994 for what would appear a modest £34,500, and is now valued at £160,000 minimum; accounting for inflation and what not, how is a 460% growth allowable? Estate agents wanting more commission, for there time artificially increase house prices, but also the banks providing mortgages get a longer return on interest on the money owed.

But this back fires on them, people can't afford the 10% down payment on a £160K mortgages, so they reduce the agreed amounts in some cases to 0%, and also make peoples income seem better than they can actually afford. Result defaults on mortgage payments and the "toxic debt" that has bounced around in the last decade causing the recession.

We need a political party made up of specialist ministers that understand economics, education and healthcare, not Degree trained, but Professors and Doctors too hammer this country back into shape.

Point in case, how is a 2:1 Ba degree in Modern History qualify somebody to be the Chancellor of the Exchequer, seriously how? Yes they might have a board of underlings who understand such matters but isn't that just another layer of bureaucracy that has to teach the muppet.

 

She left the judicial system to take it's course. When she is being told rightly or wrongly by many high placed Police officers and politicians that was the reason and let's be honest here, we had prior on this very subject resulting in every team in the country banned from European football.

Let's not forget, every other politician from every party sat on their hands as well.

 

I'll bow to your superior knowledge on that aspect then and retract my statement then.

 

You don't have to retract anything matey, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one

 

Top post

The qualifications the chancellor of the exchequer holds have dubious relevence anyway. He could have a PHD in economics from a fresh water univerity in the USA, the chicago school of economics or austrian and still be as wrong, incompetant or even moreso than he is now. It has more to do with overarching policy as there is a large body of economists within the treasury and a lot of economists on the outside can push their case. Plus there is a sir humphry as the permanent secretary to the treasury who is an economist.

The sucess of macro economic policy isn't bourne on the level of education or whether your policies are lucky enough to be in the right place and more importantly at the right time.

 

Quite right, without the unbias (rail tenders excluding) civil servants I can't think of party that could survive without them. Although, I don't agree with the spin on dumbing down a politicians education to appear on level footing to the "commonman"

 

Never mind, the current UK chancellor of the exchequer has plenty of real world experience to help him solve one of the trickiest economic conundrums in UK history.

Osborne did a few part-time jobs including as a data entry clerk, typing the details of recently deceased into a NHS computer database. He also briefly worked for a week at Selfridges, mainly re-folding towels

 

I don't think you need dumbing down of politicians for the common man approach. I more state that the level of education someone has doesn't necessarily indicate their ability ot get things right. Like I said if he was educated in a freshwater american institution or an institution that follows the austrian or chicago school of economics dogma to the highest standard, he would still be as wrong as he is now. There are many people who aren't formally qualified in something who are accurate in their predictions or policy. My dad an ex shop manager and now taxi driver and myself predicted that the housing and private debt boom was a bubble and would lead to a catastrophic recession. That doesn't mean to say that he or I would be right now but it does show that it's not all about scraps of paper denoting intellectual ability.