I'm just getting news through that Margaret Thatcher has died, aged 87, after suffering a stroke. Nicknamed the Iron Lady, she became Baroness Thatcher on stepping down as Prime Minister. Few, if any, public figures in UK in the last 40 years have provoked such emotion as her. There was no happy medium, she was either appreciated or despised. Not surprisingly, the Falkland Islanders thought she was the best. The unions, whose strangle-hold she broke, thought she was a witch. An official statement will probably be released from Downing Street later.
Great minds think alike.....Personally I can only remember two things. Falklands Island War and High interest rates
I remember the dole queues too Jim, and the miners strikes, the three day week, the electricity strikes every day, the refusal to collect any garbage, dead bodies mounting up because they refused to bury them, teachers refusing to mark exam papers, school meals staff refusing to feed the kids, and all that was when Labours' James Callaghan was prime minister, 1 year before Thatcher became PM.
Just read this Article and it reminded me when Miners came to Liverpool with empty buckets in the hope of donations from people to feed their families. Whether they wanted to return to work or not they had no choice. But a year without benefits of any kind brought them to their knees. I for one cried as I watched them on TV walk back through the gates broken men; Please click to read the article below Unlike Margaret Thatcher, miners believed in society | Ken Capstick | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
We still have to live with her legacy....housing shortage, dole queues, private utility companies charging over the odds, unregulated banking system on the brink, manufacturing almost non existing, privatization of national treasures such as Jaguar, Rolls Royce, British Airways, BP..... and a public expenditure disproportionate to the GDP. It was great if one had some cash to invest in shares, business or property, if not, one was cut out of the fun altogether.... You're right, she was just like Marmite....either one loves it or hates it. I think that parties in Glasgow or Brixton to celebrate her death are a bit too much. Celebrations should have been held when she was finally booted out of office in 1990....
I agree Union Jack Although I feel anti Tory for the mess this Country is in, to celebrate her death in such a way is distasteful and totally disrespectful. BTW. I would have more respect for the present Government if they admitted it was the bankers that got us into this mess not the Labour Government of the day.
I think that both had a part to play and both are to blame. The Labour Party kept spending and wasted the lot. They introduced Public Private Partnership that is now breaking the back of our beloved NHS. They deregulated the banking system even more.Tony Blair did his nasty bit and after serving himself left the office to an even more incompetent Gordon Brown. There is a say in Italy which broadly translate as..."when voting, vote for the party which promises less, that way you will have fewer disappointments". I rest my case!!
Thatcher put millions on the dole, and even introduced the disability living allowance to help get the dole figures down, which the new conservatives try to demolish. Even her own party kicked her out in the end, she was evil. RIP
Stepping down. lol her own party kicked her out, they were afraid she would lose the next election. She was so disliked in end after the poll tax.