Thatcher in hospital for checks

[Churchill]

If you want to go down the dogmatic "Tories wonderful", "Labour bad" route you can start with this quick quiz

1 Which party was in power during the 3-day week
2 Which party introduced the fuel price escalator for petrol and diesel

1 The Three-Day Week was one of several measures introduced in the United Kingdom by the Conservative Government 1970-1974 to conserve electricity, the production of which was severely limited due to industrial action by coal miners.

2 The fuel price escalator was introduced by the Conservative government in 1993 and set at an annual increase of 3% ahead of inflation, later rising to 5%. After gaining power in 1997, the rate of increase was raised by the Labour government to 6% per year. The last rise due to the escalator took place following the budget on March 9, 1999

[Bagpuss]

Not many, but MOST single people that were earners but not homeowners were worse off. This was because for the FIRST time they were having to make a contribution for local services, which surely was fair. Why should they get services free if they can afford to contribute?

Some married couples may have been worse off but not that many. My poll tax in 1992 was 260 pounds which was less than half of my 'rates' at the time, so if I had been married I would have been better off than under the old rating system.

Well you were very lucky and obviously living in a large house, most people were worse off, my parents had a 50% increase under the community charge, the likes of myself had to pay it yet had no property and yet had their grants removed. Terrible news for young people not from well off backgrounds, many could now not afford to go to university or indeed save for the future. When you can afford a house, you can afford to pay rates, when you are starting out in life you shouldn't be burdened with debt. There is nothing worse than those who benefited from a system they themselves want to remove.

[DodgyAgent]

Well you were very lucky and obviously living in a large house, most people were worse off, my parents had a 50% increase under the community charge, the likes of myself had to pay it yet had no property and yet had their grants removed. Terrible news for young people not from well off backgrounds, many could now not afford to go to university or indeed save for the future. When you can afford a house, you can afford to pay rates, when you are starting out in life you shouldn't be burdened with debt. There is nothing worse than those who benefited from a system they themselves want to remove.

They should have thought twice about voting for previous labour governments then.

[Bagpuss]

They should have thought twice about voting for previous labour governments then.

How do you know they did?

[Churchill]

How do you know they did?

Some f*cker did! And when I find 'im!

[sasguru]

I remember the infamous march that I went on protesting against the removal of student grants - something I still believe in, BTW. Thatcher brutally charged down a very peaceful demo with police horses on Embankment bridge if I remember rightly...Was terrifying and totally uncalled for.

[shaunbhoy]

Well you were very lucky and obviously living in a large house, most people were worse off, my parents had a 50% increase under the community charge, the likes of myself had to pay it yet had no property and yet had their grants removed. Terrible news for young people not from well off backgrounds, many could now not afford to go to university or indeed save for the future. When you can afford a house, you can afford to pay rates, when you are starting out in life you shouldn't be burdened with debt. There is nothing worse than those who benefited from a system they themselves want to remove.

What a load of touchy-feely leftie claptrap. You and millions of similarly-minded muppets had been making use of countless benefits and services provided by your local councils without contributing a brass farthing. There is nothing wrong with a system that compels all of those using a service from paying for that service, but the great unwashed were happy for the older generation to cough up on their behalf when this was run past them. Those who could not see the fairness that the Poll Tax had at its core, even if it was poorly implemented, are now, in a great many cases, rearing a generation of like-minded selfish children who expect everything handed to them on a plate. And when you are starting out in life you damned well SHOULD be burdened with debt if you are the one wantonly running it up!!

[DodgyAgent]

I remember the infamous march that I went on protesting against the removal of student grants - something I still believe in, BTW. Thatcher brutally charged down a very peaceful demo with police horses on Embankment bridge if I remember rightly...Was terrifying and totally uncalled for.

There is a bit of a theme developing here. Interesting that the "society owes me a living" brigade are the ones that so hate her.

The only thing I have against Maggie is that her charging down of "a very peaceful demo" was clearly not brutal enough

[DimPrawn]

I remember the infamous march that I went on protesting against the removal of student grants - something I still believe in, BTW. Thatcher brutally charged down a very peaceful demo with police horses on Embankment bridge if I remember rightly...Was terrifying and totally uncalled for.

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/20...ie_243x278.jpg

[Peoplesoft bloke]

There is a bit of a theme developing here. Interesting that the "society owes me a living" brigade are the ones that so hate her.

The only thing I have against Maggie is that her charging down of "a very peaceful demo" was clearly not brutal enough

I've noticed more of a "we call other people names and try to categorise them into brigades" trend from the Thatcher apologists.

Those of us who can't stand her don't think the world owes us a living, but we do seem to have a better grasp of history and politics - not surprising. Thatcherism was all about soundbites and spin rather than substance. Before I get told I'm a manky commie subversive (again) let me state that unlike the Thatcher was wonderful sheep, I think she did good (a bit) and bad (a lot) stuff.

I notice it went very quiet about the Falklands once some of the actual history of it was cited rather than the rose-tinted Thatcher loving version.

As for charging down peaceful demos - would that be OK for fuel protestors? pro-hunting demos? or is it only causes you don't care about.

Thatcher claimed to be in favour of democracy and free speech - but only if the views expressed suited her.