Margaret Thatcher returns to Downing Street

[Gonzo]

Yup.

TV went off at 22:30.

Probably explains why Heath lost the election.

And why the following conservative government were hell bent on wreaking vengeance on the coal miners.

[Bagpuss]

or was it Mike Yarwood?

[NickFitz]

Yup.

TV went off at 22:30.

Probably explains why Heath lost the election.

And why the following conservative government were hell bent on wreaking vengeance on the coal miners.

Heath was the Conservative government... the following Government was Labour, and ended the three day week. It was another five years before we were subjugated by Thatcher The Evil Witch and her minions

Of course she was hell-bent on destroying the workers. They prevented she and her cronies from milking the country for their own enrichment. We are suffering the consequences of her policies to this day.

Then again, nobody seems too keen to kick up a stink about this on here: they seem to be very annoyed about the fact that banks get propped up by funding from central government, yet not at all concerned by the fact that the banks were only ever successful in the first place because of central government collusion in creating the perception of success through such mechanisms as the subprime markets.

These were of course mechanisms that were created when Thatcher and her cronies were in charge, and Labour's responsibility is only for allowing them to continue; but I can imagine the stink some here would have kicked up if Labour had tried to put a stop to it all.

"New Labour" can be blamed for one thing above all: being Thatcherite. Everything that the current government is criticised for on here is Thatcherite. Those of you who are still having wet dreams about her should grow up and face the facts; she isn't your nanny, and her nanny state (where nanny is harsh and cruel and punishes you even if it wasn't your fault) was wrong and evil. If you think she/it was a Good Thing, then all I can say is that you should find another way to sublimate your masochistic fantasies than through General Elections.

[RichardCranium]

"New Labour" can be blamed for one thing above all: being Thatcherite. Everything that the current government is criticised for on here is Thatcherite. Those of you who are still having wet dreams about her should grow up and face the facts; she isn't your nanny, and her nanny state (where nanny is harsh and cruel and punishes you even if it wasn't your fault) was wrong and evil.

My one abiding memory of when New Labour came in was that nothing changed. I was in a public sector client who were cock-a-hoop that their huge ill-conceived but imposed-from-above outsourcing project would be cancelled when New Labour came in. Then the order came down "Business as usual..." and they realised the country had been conned.

That's part of why I get so cross about blinkered "Vote Labour!" or "Vote Conservative!" comments when there is so little difference in their policies and so much similarity in the practice of stuffing jobs and money at their cronies, lying to the public and lining their own pockets at our expense whilst at the same time reducing our rights and freedoms and yet incompetence at running the country in anything other than a "What will the papers say tomorrow?" mindset.

Supporting the big parties does the general public no favours: they only exist to serve themselves.

[OwlHoot]

Flip me, I had no idea there were so many socialists on this board.

It's like being at a party, and noticing a lot of people drinking bloody maries, and then that they all have fangs!

[EternalOptimist]

I am not so sure. My family were workers and they were not destroyed by her, in fact they did very well out of Thatcher, despite being Labour through and through. My mother has been a trades union activist all her life, she still goes to conferences now, at 85, but I remember her pleasure and pride when she bought our house with the cash she made from selling her shares in the newly privatised companies.
Of course we had the opposite view from the Militant tendancy who lived in the area and they sounded a lot like Nick does. But a lot of people shied away from the pure hate and bile they spouted, it was a case of Labour and trades union yes, but extremism and hatred no. Evolution not revolution.

[minestrone]

It is a myth that the working class got hammered by Thatcher, they were some of her biggest supporters. Right to buy went down a treat with them and they continued to support her long after. Social mobility only really became possible on a large scale in the 80s, TV shows like Minder and Only fools used that as a big source for their humour. Loads of money going to the opera and such.

[DodgyAgent]

My one abiding memory of when New Labour came in was that nothing changed. I was in a public sector client who were cock-a-hoop that their huge ill-conceived but imposed-from-above outsourcing project would be cancelled when New Labour came in. Then the order came down "Business as usual..." and they realised the country had been conned.

That's part of why I get so cross about blinkered "Vote Labour!" or "Vote Conservative!" comments when there is so little difference in their policies and so much similarity in the practice of stuffing jobs and money at their cronies, lying to the public and lining their own pockets at our expense whilst at the same time reducing our rights and freedoms and yet incompetence at running the country in anything other than a "What will the papers say tomorrow?" mindset.

Supporting the big parties does the general public no favours: they only exist to serve themselves.

There is not a single reasoned sentence either here or in your crony friend NickFitz's diatribe of hate. There are instead sweeping generalisations and ssumptions that are not even worthy of BNP, Plane Supid, Al Quaeda or any other crackpot idealist with a personal problem.

[RichardCranium]

There is not a single reasoned sentence either here or in your crony friend NickFitz's diatribe of hate. There are instead sweeping generalisations and ssumptions that are not even worthy of BNP, Plane Supid, Al Quaeda or any other crackpot idealist with a personal problem.

Nope. That didn't upset me. Not even as good as calling me scum. Go on, try again.

[EternalOptimist]

Blooming heck, I just remembered something.
I was the only one in my family who didnt buy shares, because I thought it was wrong. So my brother bought my batch and kept all the profits.

With compound interest, that means he owes me half his house, the git. Or his car or something.