With a couple of threads getting around to the subject of The Iron Lady, I thought of starting a thread dedicated to discussing her.
My own memories of Thatcher are mixed. Many of her policies were destructive and we are still feeling the effects all these years later but then, she did have her achievements also.
The Right to buy.... Local Authorities are still suffering the effects of this now but she did give the lowest Income people In the Country the right to own their own home.
Her 1988 Royal Society Speech did put Environmentalism and Global warming on the political agenda.
The Scarman Enquiry began to engage Britain�s disaffected Inner city youth.
[moderator note] plagiarised from http://conservativehome.blogs.com/toryd ... of_cc.html [/moderator note]
She Formed a triumvirate with Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II to engineer the downfall of Soviet Communism.
Any more ????
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
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Oscar Namechange
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The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
Her policies that you consider destructive ... were they good policies in the short term or were they doomed from the start?
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
As her inheritors set about destroying the national health service by privatising it why don't you list what you think her achievements are and then we can deal with them one by one.
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Oscar Namechange
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The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
gmc;1389553 wrote: As her inheritors set about destroying the national health service by privatising it why don't you list what you think her achievements are and then we can deal with them one by one. I listed four achievements In my OP.... However, I am sure this one Is the most hotly debated and that which she will be remembered for.
She faced down the NUM (National Miners' Union) In a year-long strike which was In the main about pay and conditions but was Intended to lead to mass discontent leading to violent regime change. I remember the four day working week, the garbage piled high on the streets and the country being held to ransom by the unions.
She faced down the NUM (National Miners' Union) In a year-long strike which was In the main about pay and conditions but was Intended to lead to mass discontent leading to violent regime change. I remember the four day working week, the garbage piled high on the streets and the country being held to ransom by the unions.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
oscar;1389557 wrote: I listed four achievements In my OP.... However, I am sure this one Is the most hotly debated and that which she will be remembered for.
She faced down the NUM (National Miners' Union) In a year-long strike which was In the main about pay and conditions but was Intended to lead to mass discontent leading to violent regime change. I remember the four day working week, the garbage piled high on the streets and the country being held to ransom by the unions.
I remember that as well. She was the one that introduced monetarist economic policies to the UK. The theories behind it are insane and beggar belief that anything so lacking in common sense could be taken seriously. I will grant tyou that Ne w labour picked them up as well and went on to make an even bigger cock-up in the process but the rot definitely started with her.
Right to buy - good on some levels but no steps were taken to replace what was sold off when even a half wit could see where it would lead. It also massively overinflated the housing market. She also deregulated the financial services induistry and allowed building societies to operate as banks -0 just look where that led us.
Scarman inquiry, what did she do about it then? "There is no such thing as society. " The poll tax was a great idea wasn't it?
Coal - she wanted gas fired power stations ignoring all those who pointed out that in twenty years time the gas would be running out and we would be better concentrating ojn clean coal technology. We now import coal for the remaining coal fired stations, it's tweny years later and we have to import the gas from russia and are held to ransom and the chinese lead the world in developing cleaner coal fired power stations. Privatisation was suppose3d to reduce out fuel bills - looked at your bill recently? and how good it is that french and german power companies now take all the profit.
Stood up to the unions - try asking anyone losing their jobs now
All the benefit from the north sea oil went ion to giving tax breaks to the already rich and to companies while countries like Norway re-invested it for the time when it all runs out. Brought down inflation putting three million out of work will do that you know. Remember how we were all moving from a manufacturing economy to a service economy? servicing what? - without industry you don't have anything. A nation of shopping malls selling imported goods just doesn't work - look at the state america is in and it's for the same reason. Reduced taxes? No she bloody didn't she imposed a whole range of indirect taxation starting with VAT that hits the poorest the hardest. The coalition are still at it - reduce the higher rate of income tax but don't worry they out it on fuel duty and hot pies instead.
I could go on and on - just come up with something that benefited the nation long term.
She faced down the NUM (National Miners' Union) In a year-long strike which was In the main about pay and conditions but was Intended to lead to mass discontent leading to violent regime change. I remember the four day working week, the garbage piled high on the streets and the country being held to ransom by the unions.
I remember that as well. She was the one that introduced monetarist economic policies to the UK. The theories behind it are insane and beggar belief that anything so lacking in common sense could be taken seriously. I will grant tyou that Ne w labour picked them up as well and went on to make an even bigger cock-up in the process but the rot definitely started with her.
Right to buy - good on some levels but no steps were taken to replace what was sold off when even a half wit could see where it would lead. It also massively overinflated the housing market. She also deregulated the financial services induistry and allowed building societies to operate as banks -0 just look where that led us.
Scarman inquiry, what did she do about it then? "There is no such thing as society. " The poll tax was a great idea wasn't it?
Coal - she wanted gas fired power stations ignoring all those who pointed out that in twenty years time the gas would be running out and we would be better concentrating ojn clean coal technology. We now import coal for the remaining coal fired stations, it's tweny years later and we have to import the gas from russia and are held to ransom and the chinese lead the world in developing cleaner coal fired power stations. Privatisation was suppose3d to reduce out fuel bills - looked at your bill recently? and how good it is that french and german power companies now take all the profit.
Stood up to the unions - try asking anyone losing their jobs now
All the benefit from the north sea oil went ion to giving tax breaks to the already rich and to companies while countries like Norway re-invested it for the time when it all runs out. Brought down inflation putting three million out of work will do that you know. Remember how we were all moving from a manufacturing economy to a service economy? servicing what? - without industry you don't have anything. A nation of shopping malls selling imported goods just doesn't work - look at the state america is in and it's for the same reason. Reduced taxes? No she bloody didn't she imposed a whole range of indirect taxation starting with VAT that hits the poorest the hardest. The coalition are still at it - reduce the higher rate of income tax but don't worry they out it on fuel duty and hot pies instead.
I could go on and on - just come up with something that benefited the nation long term.
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Oscar Namechange
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The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
But In many ways, she had great fore-sight.
The most remembered was that she Fore-saw with almost clairvoyancy the devastation the Euro was bound to cause. Her autobiography records how she warned John Major, her Euro-friendly Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the single currency could not accommodate both Industrial powerhouses such as Germany and smaller countries such as Greece. Germany, fore-cast Thatcher, would be phobic about Inflation, while the Euro would prove fatal to the poorer countries because it would �devastate their Inefficient economies�.
It's as If, all those years ago, she possessed a crystal ball that enabled her to fore-see the catastrophic events of the past year or so in Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Indeed, It's one of those cases of European history that the world chose not to believe her.
[moderator note]plagiarised from http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peter ... te-europe/ [/moderator note]
The most remembered was that she Fore-saw with almost clairvoyancy the devastation the Euro was bound to cause. Her autobiography records how she warned John Major, her Euro-friendly Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the single currency could not accommodate both Industrial powerhouses such as Germany and smaller countries such as Greece. Germany, fore-cast Thatcher, would be phobic about Inflation, while the Euro would prove fatal to the poorer countries because it would �devastate their Inefficient economies�.
It's as If, all those years ago, she possessed a crystal ball that enabled her to fore-see the catastrophic events of the past year or so in Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Indeed, It's one of those cases of European history that the world chose not to believe her.
[moderator note]plagiarised from http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peter ... te-europe/ [/moderator note]
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
oscar;1389564 wrote: But In many ways, she had great fore-sight.
The most remembered was that she Fore-saw with almost clairvoyancy the devastation the Euro was bound to cause. Her autobiography records how she warned John Major, her Euro-friendly Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the single currency could not accommodate both Industrial powerhouses such as Germany and smaller countries such as Greece. Germany, fore-cast Thatcher, would be phobic about Inflation, while the Euro would prove fatal to the poorer countries because it would “devastate their Inefficient economies”.
It's as If, all those years ago, she possessed a crystal ball that enabled her to fore-see the catastrophic events of the past year or so in Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Indeed, It's one of those cases of European history that the world chose not to believe her.
Maggie the soothsayer give me a break, she was still clinging on to the notion of the UK as a global power with it's fond empire the kind of stupid attitude that kept us out of the eec in the first place so that rather than helping form it we ended up cap in hand begging to be let in. Europe is our biggest trading partner we can't afford not to be involved with it. She got rid of anyone that dared to disagree with her, power mad cow. You can't actually come up with any long term benefits can you?
The most remembered was that she Fore-saw with almost clairvoyancy the devastation the Euro was bound to cause. Her autobiography records how she warned John Major, her Euro-friendly Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the single currency could not accommodate both Industrial powerhouses such as Germany and smaller countries such as Greece. Germany, fore-cast Thatcher, would be phobic about Inflation, while the Euro would prove fatal to the poorer countries because it would “devastate their Inefficient economies”.
It's as If, all those years ago, she possessed a crystal ball that enabled her to fore-see the catastrophic events of the past year or so in Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Indeed, It's one of those cases of European history that the world chose not to believe her.
Maggie the soothsayer give me a break, she was still clinging on to the notion of the UK as a global power with it's fond empire the kind of stupid attitude that kept us out of the eec in the first place so that rather than helping form it we ended up cap in hand begging to be let in. Europe is our biggest trading partner we can't afford not to be involved with it. She got rid of anyone that dared to disagree with her, power mad cow. You can't actually come up with any long term benefits can you?
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
gmc;1389811 wrote: You can't actually come up with any long term benefits can you?
Not long term benefits, but I did see a lot of good in the old bat.
She was a Politician with vision, integrity and direction and the only word I know to describe it is 'chutzpa'.
She was a rare commodity as she 'knew' she was right and did what she felt to be good for the country against all the odds.
If only there was a socialist equivalent today, or in fact of any political hue rather than the numpties we have to choose from.
Not long term benefits, but I did see a lot of good in the old bat.
She was a Politician with vision, integrity and direction and the only word I know to describe it is 'chutzpa'.
She was a rare commodity as she 'knew' she was right and did what she felt to be good for the country against all the odds.
If only there was a socialist equivalent today, or in fact of any political hue rather than the numpties we have to choose from.
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
The Achievements and destruction of Margaret Thatcher...
On the other hand I can come up with several things where she has caused long term damage, which blair et al continued with. Now we are seeing the destruction of the NHS. They should have banned all MP's with connections to private medical companies from voting on the matter.