Margaret Thatcher

[chip]

The Hamiltons affair was about 'cash for questions' - taking bribes for asking questions in the Commons. An abuse of democracy.

If you can't tell that that is worse than the Jowell/Mills controversy then you're a fool.

just examples. How about Ecclestone then? I just think that the level of sleaze has gone up a gear in the past decade. Now, if that makes me a fool then fine.

As for abuse of democracy, why don't you see what powers the local government cmpliance officers have. Or the use of Scottish MPs to pass legislation that only applies to England because labour is in a minority here. Or the house of Lords. You are a bigger fool than me if you think that democracy means anything to these buffoons running our country.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

The Iron Lady - had more balls than a lot of folk on here

Anybody who works in a leadership position will tell you that you have to make unpopular discisions some of the time. Those people that want to dance on her grave are obviously those who were disaffected by some of her policies.

There is no doubt in my mind that what she did in her time was ALWAYS intended to be for the good of the nation as a whole - just pissed a few of the minorities off in the process - shit happens.

But make no mistake - this country is a better and more prosperous nation thanks to her - credit where credit due.

 

[DJ Leon]

just examples. How about Ecclestone then? I just think that the level of sleaze has gone up a gear in the past decade. Now, if that makes me a fool then fine.

As for abuse of democracy, why don't you see what powers the local government cmpliance officers have. Or the use of Scottish MPs to pass legislation that only applies to England because labour is in a minority here. Or the house of Lords. You are a bigger fool than me if you think that democracy means anything to these buffoons running our country.

Well who's been dismantling the power of the Lords then? Is it Thatcher and the Tories?

The fact is that the Tories' sleaze normally involved misleading the Commons, financial irregularities or preaching family values by day and then shagging around by night. Labour's sleaze is nowhere near as repulsive.

 

[DJ Leon]

There is no doubt in my mind that what she did in her time was ALWAYS intended to be for the good of the nation as a whole - just pissed a few of the minorities off in the process - shit happens.

That minority is in fact a majority and they are often called 'the poor'.

I'm glad you think her intentions were always good though, you must be able to see the best in people. When she privatised the railways, I always thought it was a bit of thievery designed to make her rich friends richer. She was obviously just convinced by the brilliant arguments that existed, and still exist, for running it in private hands.

 

[Big G]

Best leader this country has had since churchill.
She's got more balls than that poncey lefty mamby pamby wanker weve got now.

Bring back Maggie

 

[chip]

That minority is in fact a majority and they are often called 'the poor'.

I'm glad you think her intentions were always good though, you must be able to see the best in people. When she privatised the railways, I always thought it was a bit of thievery designed to make her rich friends richer. She was obviously just convinced by the brilliant arguments that existed, and still exist, for running it in private hands.

I think you are too young and blinkered to fully understand what you are talking about, so I shan't respond to you again on this subject. It is interesting that you also appear to be in a minority - just like labour.

 

[DJ Leon]

I think you are too young and blinkered to fully understand what you are talking about, so I shan't respond to you again on this subject. It is interesting that you also appear to be in a minority - just like labour.

What Labour minority is that then?

Blinkered? I'm arguing my case. You have decided not to. Often the way with Tories.

 

[bigc]

just examples. How about Ecclestone then? I just think that the level of sleaze has gone up a gear in the past decade. Now, if that makes me a fool then fine.

As for abuse of democracy, why don't you see what powers the local government cmpliance officers have. Or the use of Scottish MPs to pass legislation that only applies to England because labour is in a minority here. Or the house of Lords. You are a bigger fool than me if you think that democracy means anything to these buffoons running our country.

Abuse of democracy.

what about all the quangos Thatcher set up during the '80s,and the power that was taken away from Local Government.

I'm not denying Blair hasn't continued this though.

 

[The Large One]

DJ Leon: Probably because they don't have a case to argue.

 

[Bluejuice]

DJ Leon, seriously sometimes it's better just to walk away from people if they have no rational argument.

You know you're right, I know you're right. f*** 'em

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

That minority is in fact a majority and they are often called 'the poor'.

How can the "poor" be the majority? What a ridiculous statement. i suppose it depends on your definition of poor. A simple defintion for me is NOT having a roof over your head - the homeless are the poorest of the poor and we would always have these under any government.

With privitisation, she gave the middle-class the opportunity to buy shares in companies like BT - for many this was the first investment opportunity of their lives. The right to buy their council homes for the working class was also a brave step. She could see that these people would be a burden to the state in retirement so also tried very hard to get people to consider private pensions.

I agree not all of these have turned out the way she would have liked, but none the less she provided opportunity for the masses and we should be at least acknowledge that.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

She destroyed the concept of affordable housing and condemned a generation of young people to struggling in a low wage economy - while creating opportunities for greedy exploiters in the finance sector to pay themselves digusting salaries and bonuses from phoney racketeering that masqueraded as "wealth creation".

Britain became a more divided society than at any time since 1918, thanks to her.

 

[Bluejuice]

She destroyed the concept of affordable housing and condemned a generation of young people to struggling in a low wage economy - while creating opportunities for greedy exploiters in the finance sector to pay themselves digusting salaries and bonuses from phoney racketeering that masqueraded as "wealth creation".

Britain became a more divided society than at any time since 1918, thanks to her.

I'm delighted that what I wanted to say has been so eloquently put.

Every messageboard needs a Lord B

 

[CHAPPERS]

It was kinda nice.

 

[binky]

Well I must admit, that at the time, I hated her.

At the time she came to power, I was in my teens, unemployed, CND believer etc.

I thought, (and still think), the closing of the mines was a political act rather than an economic act, but in retrospect it proved an economically sound thing to do.

I thought the poll tax was wrong, because I would have to pay it, where at the time I paid no local taxes. My parents paid them, and later, my landlord paid them and rolled them into the rent.

I thought the Falklands was essentially a political campaign.

Ultimately though, I grew up. I started thinking for myself and working things out. What would happen if...

We can already see the results of the reversion of the poll tax. Council tax has risen year on year until it now affects some of the most vulnerable in society. Yet still students the unemployed and those living with their parents pay nothing towards the services provided locally. I think the poll tax was fairer.

Clearly, in retrospect, the Falklands had to be protected. If we, a sovereign nation, had not defended our interests, then it would have been open season on us by any tin pot dictator who wanted to have a go.
I find it troubling that under the current administration, if the same thing happened again, we do not have the ordinance, or the personel to mount a similar defence.

Frankly, I think that anyone who looks back at the Thatcher years and doesn't recognise her extraordinary achievements has no sense of historical perspective, and is incapable of thinking for themselves.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Too young to be able to give a proper vote becuase I don't remember what the country was like before she came along. By all accounts it had gone to the dgs, so she might have improved things, but I grew up with non-stop anti Thatcher propaganda surrounding me Ive no idea what is truth and what isn't. Furthermore, I don't care.

Apathy. The silent killer.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

With regard to the Falklands taskforce, we didn't have the ordinance or the personnel to defend them in 1982 either. We had to rely on hastily commandered merchant navy vessels acting as transport ( Canberra, QE2, Atlantic Conveyer and many others - see here http://www.naval-history.net/F22mnships.htm ), & an about to be pensioned off aircraft carrier ( Hermes, and they couldn't send it straight away because they had to hastily construct a Sea Harrier ski jump on a ship never designed for it ) ) & a ship that had barely been finished & had to be rushed into service ( Invincible ).

There were insufficient aircraft suitable to take off from these ships, the skeleton Sea Harrier provision had to be beefed up with normal Harrier GR3's from Germany designed for supporting a defence against the Soviets. Similarly we were desperately short of helicopters. Only Fearless was ready for immediate service & Intrepid had to be rushed back from a re-fit.

Basically, we were caught with our trousers well & truely around our ankles.

If it hadn't been for the Falklands, Thatcher would almost certainly have continued her previous policy of cutting defence spending to the bone, no Challenger, no Eurofighter, no replacement for Polaris.

In any case, the world political situation has shifted since then, & we would probably rely on George Dubya to help us out now.

One other thing, she presided over a period of great civil unrest, Toxteth, Brixton, St. Pauls, Broadwater Farm, in addition to the Poll Tax riots. Not good when you have your own people openly rioting in the street.

Did I mention the abolition of free dental checks & eye tests ?

 

[The Large One]

How can the "poor" be the majority? What a ridiculous statement. i suppose it depends on your definition of poor. A simple defintion for me is NOT having a roof over your head - the homeless are the poorest of the poor and we would always have these under any government.

With privitisation, she gave the middle-class the opportunity to buy shares in companies like BT - for many this was the first investment opportunity of their lives. The right to buy their council homes for the working class was also a brave step. She could see that these people would be a burden to the state in retirement so also tried very hard to get people to consider private pensions.

I agree not all of these have turned out the way she would have liked, but none the less she provided opportunity for the masses and we should be at least acknowledge that.

...and f*** the vast majority that couldn't.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

I think you are too young and blinkered to fully understand what you are talking about, so I shan't respond to you again on this subject. It is interesting that you also appear to be in a minority - just like labour.

A fine example of Tory debating style. This one sentence includes an insult, a distortion of the truth and a spoilt child flounce.


The cheap selling off of a nations assets under the banner of a 'property owning democracy' was bloody criminal.

Cant stand the cow and will gladly lead the celerbratory conga, but what would you expect from a lefty, lazy, student, union supporting scum, mamby pamby, work shy, soap dodging communist like me.

 

[The Large One]

A fine example of Tory debating style. This one sentence includes an insult, a distortion of the truth and a spoilt child flounce.


The cheap selling off of a nations assets under the banner of a 'property owning democracy' was bloody criminal.

Cant stand the cow and will gladly lead the celerbratory conga, but what would you expect from a lefty, lazy, student, union supporting scum, mamby pamby, work shy, soap dodging communist like me.

Burn the pinko...