Margaret Thatcher

[GrannyMac]

I thought she was a very clever woman even though I didn't always agree with her political stance.   She believed in personal responsibility and I see nothing wrong with that, as long as we don't forget the people who need help and support.  I don't think she was a snob, I think she had standards.   And even if she was, so what.  Inverted snobbery is just as bad. 

With regard to the minimum wage IMO the increased cost of housing has made it almost impossible for a single person, in a minimum wage job, to support a family.   2 parents could just about manage it if they were fortunate enough to live in social housing.   But in some parts of the country private renting is all thats available and the cost isn't sustainable for low wage earners.  A single parent who isn't in a professional job will almost always be better off on benefits under the current system.

[Hugh]

Margaret Thatcher was voted in by well over half the voting population depending on your circumstances she did allot good and bad things. Thankfully she did me allot of good so I for one very happy about her time in power. So with out a slagging match lets hear why you dislike or like her and discuss each point in an honest debate in our own words and not cut out of a magazine.

[Chrisjay]

A really good post Hugh and I am happy to reply

I liked the way she stood up for Britian against the rest of the world, she kept the Falklands ours which was the wish of the island to remain part of the UK and she negotiated a huge rebate from the EU which has now been given away and continues to be given away to subsidise the French farmers.  Also I do not remember her sucking up to the Americans in the way current politicians do.

I did not like the loss of school milk but many children did not like it anyway (warm milk yuk) nor did I like the poll tax but the principle behind it was good i.e. the single pensioner should not pay as much in rates as a family living in the same type of property.  However, given some time to tweak it we would have been better off that the current community charge.

I also like the fact that she stood by her convictions which is the base of what she was voted in for 'the lady was not for turning' unlike the current Libs who can't even keep the promise they signed pledges for.

I would vote for her again just by the fact she had a singlemindedness to do the best for this country and was admired worldwide for just that.

Will we ever remember Blair or Brown as defenders of this once great country I think not.

[GrannyMac]

Margaret Thatcher had to overcome huge bias to become prime minister.  A woman, well educated and obviously intelligent, but not from a privileged background.  I thought the community charge (poll tax) was a fairer system than rates, but I live in South Yorkshire, where she was disliked immensely, so most were against it without even considering its better points.  I say 'was' but there are still people here who blame her for every ill this country has ever known.

I wonder what her view would have been about student fees?  I bet she wouldn't have made it possible for students from other parts of the UK to pay less than their English counterparts!  Its time for only English MPs to vote on English matters, like the Scots and Welsh.  Either that or we return to a level playing field when it comes to charging members of the public for higher education, prescriptions, and health care for the elderly, making sure no-one is disadvantaged because of where they live. 

[Ivanhoe]

Thatcher wrecked British manufacturing industry and devastated whole areas of Britain by her obsession with high interest rates.

Under her rule crime rates soared. The Health Service was wrecked. Before she came to power it was the best in the world. After 11 years of her rule it was the worst in the developed world.

Britain's mental hospitals were closed and their inhabitants dumped on to the streets of our cities to be a menace both to themselves and to the general public.

All forms of physical punishment were banned in schools, thus wrecking the education system for ordinary people.

Thatcher crucified  the Health Service and was responsible for a number of equally wretchedly mean actions, such as abolishing the Wages Councils and making various cuts in welfare benefits.  And breaking the State pensions link with national average wages

Margaret Thatcher also ruined the Social structure of this country by stopping the building of Social housing during her Premiership.

[Hugh]

90% of this post complete utter rubbish'

Change the title In your view only. Because what you say is far from the truth. Infact many of us would say one of the best prime ministers ever.

[james]

While I agree with the body of the thread I'm not sure I can agree with the title. There is some high competition for the accolade of "worst" Blair/Brown/Callaghan (Crisis? What crisis? or Heath/Home/Macmillan (you never had it so good) What amazes me is how some of these characters, who really could NOT run a whelk stall can ever get to the elevated positions they obviously did.   

[caminito]

Ivanhoe .   
Your posting was not even your own original words but copied and pasted from ...
J.P.Lethbridge
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Paying+the+price+of+Thatcher+years.-a078209315

and then  ,within minutes ,you put it on mumsnet
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/politics/1102556-Thatcher-the-worst-Prime-Minister-Britain-ever-had

[Ivanhoe]

« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2010, 08:13:19 PM »   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ivanhoe .   
Your posting was not even your own original words but copied and pasted from ...
J.P.Lethbridge
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Paying+the+price+of+Thatcher+years.-a078209315

and then  ,within minutes ,you put it on mumsnet
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/politics/1102556-Thatcher-the-worst-Prime-Minister-Britain-ever-had

Yes an excellent piece of writing, copied and pasted for you all to observe.

[Chrisjay]

Having just moved from Wales back to England in the hope of better health care I can say in Wales you might get free prescriptions and hospital parking but you wait 20 months plus to see a consultant (and I am still waiting) I would rather have paid for my prescriptions and parking and seen a consultant in 3 months.

It will be the same for education they are closing schools at an alarming rate so university subsidies will be paid for with cuts from elsewhere in the education budget.

Wales unlike Scotland gets less per person from central government than anyone else.

I do agree however that Scottish MP's and Welsh AM's should not be able to vote on English issues and visa versa.  They should only be able to all vote on a national issue such as war or VAT increases that affect everyone equally.

[Chrisjay]

Fortunately not necessary to agree with

[cheddar-caveman]

What a load of tosh from an obviously seriously biased person. You don't have to look that far back to find the worst priminister - two have only just left the post - Blair, the egoist and Brown the complete prat!

Between the two of them, but primarily Brown through both the periods (Chancellor and then Prime minister), have totally wrecked the British economy and lumbered us with the biggest debt in history through their borrow, borrow, borrow policy and by creating thousands of "jobs for the boys" in the public domain" just to make the employment figre look good. (to say nothing of embroiling us in two illegal wars that again, we'll be paying for for decades both in moetary terms and lives).

Now, as usual the next government has to spend the majority of their term trying to sort out the mess!

[Chrisjay]

Again I agree with you (this is becoming a habit) 

[Hugh]

I also agree with you CC.

I am also very curious to know why Ivanhoe as so much hate in his heart to wards Margaret Thatcher.

[Papaumau]

Never forget her Chris, and Caminito, as she was responsible for a lot of stuff.

She was so narrow minded and driven to hammer the lower-classes that eventually her own party had to get rid of her by stabbing her in the back.

We have to give credit to her for her obvious leadership and intellectual abilities but as she was an unadulterated and unashamed far-right-winger she was a very dangerous person. I for one am glad to see the back of her.