Thatcher did Break Britain

Surely its very relevant as there are many people and politicians who revere all that Thatcher did and, more, base their current political philosophy on Thatcher. These folk cannot conceive of anything bad or damaging that Thatcher did and therefore risk making the same mistakes again - or likely worse. This why it is so important to highlight the shortcoming, the failings and the underlying error of so much of Thatcher’s premiership. As long as some think that more Thatcherism is going to be good, the more everyone else needs to highlight that the previous bout of Thatcherism was far from all good.

1 Like

what from the posts on here I conclude that Thatcher is the only prime minster after Churchill that actually did anything of note. I can’t remember any Labour politician that has made such an impression

1 Like

And she was elected three times…and was the longest serving PM since Robert Walpole.
Like the Brexit vote, the majority of the people knew which side their bread was buttered.
Easy for people to criticise in retrospect.

2 Likes

Many people hate him, but Blair did a lot for Britain’s economy and in particular for the NHS. There was a feel good factor and the country thrived until that financial crash.

1 Like

You are right to make this comparison. Somehow the majority went for the populist idea at the time … and in retrospect the damage done is very evident. Seems that the majority are not always right.

And Harold Wilson was elected 4 times and is to be remembered for keeping us out of the Vietnam War.
He did not allow us to be bullied by an American president.
A lesson for today.

4 Likes

Yes he did, and perhaps one of our more ā€œconsiderateā€ prime ministers?

I’ve books to catch up on but I’m sorely tempted to order a copy regardless…

81WCsnOnMKL.AC_SX296_SY426_FMwebp_QL65

1 Like

Harold Wilson was only elected twice, once for 6 years and again for 2 years.
He also closed more pits than Margaret Thatcher did.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!! :smile:

1 Like

This is classic misinformation. Take a basic stat and present it as political significance. Or as sensible people like to call - sh*te.
So back in the 60’s and 70’s there were multiple close to empty and failed coal mines. Lots. What happened in that time was the obvious consequence of that fact. Lots of closures.
Then came Thatcher and her goal of a big fight with the unions, but one she made sure she had banked the necessary to win. No economic calculation on any pit. Just crush the unions.
So do not cite misleading stats. Remember how Thatcher killed communities.
Ironic that you of all people wail at the decline of UK industry and the coal left in the ground - and defend Thatcher’s legacy. Have a word with yourself.

1 Like

The picket lines were full of wussies :smiley:

Let’s face it English pits were absurdly uneconomic, on the Kent coal fields, when I was at school, they were mining seams 18 inches thick by hand. Good coal but ridiculously expensive.

During the miners’ strike and the three day week (1973/4) Australian companies offered to land steaming coal in Britain at less than half the price that Britain could mine it for. Heath refused and lost the opportunity of cheap fuel and power. Britain has tiny reserves of coal which are just uneconomic to recover - wait a few centuries and the situation might change.

However the way Thatcher attacked the problem (literally) was absolutely appalling and fractured British society from which it is possibly still recovering.

3 Likes

He won 4 General Elections , 1964, 1966, 1970. And 1974.

1 Like

I like the cover illustration!

1 Like

Yes, so do I although I wouldn’t want it on the wall.

It’s almost like a caricature . . . you’d have to balance it up with a few of Gerald Scarfe’s Concorde noses. Maybe there’s a pub somewhere full of them!

1 Like

Not according to Wiki he didn’t Helen… :009:

Harold Wilson

Is it called ā€˜misinformation’ if you don’t like it Lincs… :009:
According to Wiki Thatcher closed 160 pits, whereas Wilsons contribution saw 290 mines given the red card.
Closed Pits

And just as a matter of interest, there is 300 years of coal left under Drax power station alone, and no mines in Yorkshire were closed because they were running out of coal. They might have become uneconomical because the miners deserved to be paid a decent wage (would you if you worked at the coal face?) but the answer is not to buy substandard coal from some foreign country. You are playing with peoples lives and communities here, it’s not just about money is it…Closing pits devastated the area where I live, shops closed, supporting engineering works closed, crime and poverty increased. And think of all the tax the now unemployed were paying with no substitute. And think of all the benefits that were paid, and still are. Of course the rich financial sector just find somewhere else to put their money, probably abroad, in France perhaps, or German cars, Norwegian gas and oil (from under the North Sea) Chinese steel and goods. The day this country ended up being run by bean counters and the media, was the day all hope ended for the working classes in the UK.
ā€˜Buy British’ would have been the perfect solution. We need to thank Thatcher for that not least of all the good things she did. But above all, she was a true patriot and hero…
:038:

Which just goes to show that you can’t rely on Wiki.

First was in 1964, Labour had a tiny majority so he called and won another in 1966 winning with a good majority.

Then in 1970 he lost to Edward Heath.

But in 1974 he fought and won the General Election with no overall majority.
So in October 1974 he called another, and won decisively.

So you’re confusing terms with elections.
He served two terms, but crucially became PM four times after 4 General Elections.
With a break in the middle.

2 Likes