broken

[pauld]

Most people forget just how bad things were when she came to power

No, no, we don't. However, some of us are in a position to remember what she was like in power.

[Jamiesfuturewife]

The state funeral she'll be no doubt given should be interesting.

doesnt state funeral = day off work?

[Simon Pieman]

A three day working week would probably be more apt 

[Anteater]

Can you legally picket a funeral ?

[herthab]

A three day working week would probably be more apt 

That was Heath. There's a lot of people who gained from Thatcher's reign: small businessmen, working class people who got the opportunity for the first time to own their own homes, police officers (shit loads of overtime) to name but three groups.

I didn't agree with a lot of what she did, but I'm not as blinkered as to think everything was rosy before she came on the scene, because it wasn't.

[reeves4england]

Gordon is no inspiration but he will also lead us out of a rescession, there are already signs of things changing and some dude who won the economist noble prize last year Paul Krugman said we have the best economy in europe at the moment.

Krugman is a great economist, he's turned economic thinking on its head in recent times and completely challenged the way we approach certain issues. However, I think it's a bit early to get optimistic about our economy given the current weakness of the pound and the fact the the IMF have downgraded us. Things might START to get better soon but it'll take while for us to recover yet

[Simon Pieman]

Yeah I realised that as I was typing it, but thought it was still quite apt as the three day week was concerned with electricity production due to the effects of industrial action.

[Ardiles]

That was Heath. There's a lot of people who gained from Thatcher's reign: small businessmen, working class people who got the opportunity for the first time to own their own homes, police officers (shit loads of overtime) to name but three groups.

I didn't agree with a lot of what she did, but I'm not as blinkered as to think everything was rosy before she came on the scene, because it wasn't.

Surely an understatement!  She came to power off the back of a catastrophic period of Labour government under Callaghan.  The country was on its knees and, in time, she turned it around.

I'm no particular fan of Thatcher's, but neither do I think you can reduce an 11 year period in office in to black and white.  Some of what she did was good, and some was very bad.  The idea that she could remain in power for that long - and win 3 consecutive General Elections - without doing something right is preposterous.

I'm also more than a little sceptical of the simplistic view that one woman could cast a spell on a nation of 55 million people who then collectively abandon their social conscience for good.  Slightly patronising to the population of the UK as well.

[Arriba]

i think you are pretty accurate there ardiles.but she would have lost a general election had it not been for the falklands war i reckon.

[Phil_S]

i think you are pretty accurate there ardiles.but she would have lost a general election had it not been for the falklands war i reckon.

May be, may be not. But why did she win it after going to war ? Most Prime ministers have that type of crisis if they are in power for that long. She should be judged on how she handled it, not on the fact that it happened when she was PM.  If any one else had been in charge at the time the Argies would still be in the Falklands now.

I probably hate Brown as much as some on here hate Maggie Thatcher, but I wouldn't wish him pain or dead. Out of Office yes, dead no.

[No Longer Posh Red]

i loathe what she did.but i am 100% convinced she did what she thought was best at the time.

I'm sure Hitler thought the same

[Simon Pieman]

Maybe the government should have gassed the mines and saved themselves years of hassle.

[ReadingRed]

The idea that she could remain in power for that long - and win 3 consecutive General Elections - without doing something right is preposterous.

Hardly preposterous. The numbers voting Tory were relatively low but remember her opposition - even without the agonies Labour was going through, the rise of the SDP meant the whole of the centre and left was split down the middle leaving room for a right-wing party.
Add to that the bribes which she gave to her voters - asset-stripping public bodies and selling them off to her voters, and selling off council houses at ridiculously low prices while banning local authorities from re-investing the income - it's not surprising she won, and Britain became a lot nastier, greedier and more selfish as a result.

[jonny72]

The numbers voting Tory were relatively low.

Add to that the bribes which she gave to her voters.

Where do you get that from?

- Maggie got 43.9%, 42.4% and 42.2% of the vote in the elections she won.
- Labour have won the last three with 43.2%, 40.7% and 35.3%.

Plus there were a lot more votes in the Maggie elections.

The bribes comment is equally laughable, every government do it and Labour are a lot worse if anything.

[Arriba]

how are they worse?