Who was PM during the best of times for you?

That was up to 51% satisfied in 2009.

https://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b374

"my point was they should have taken advantage of their relative popularity"

In 1997 net satisifaction of the NHS was then at an all time low of -16% and half the population rated it as the most important issue of the day.

Again, what are in your opinion mickey mouse courses? and what % did these?

Without any data to back up your assertions, they are just hearsay.

My two nieces and nephews went to Uni in the 2000's, did what you might call "mickey mouse" degree's (Media and Art) and now both have very successful careers in very relatable industries.

I really don't know what areas now require a degree now that previously never did require formal training in and "just worked their way up in" e.g Construction - no trade requires a degree now and never has.

Nursing is often quoted but prior to degree's, *they required 3 years in training colleges, very long placements, lots of exams and resulted in diploma's, same with accountancy and law.

John Major and Blair.

Not because of their politics, just coincided with some really lovely times.

I think the problems with the NHS are structural and my point was they should have taken advantage of their relative popularity and better finances (left by the Major government) to change the health system to something like the more efficient European ones rather than short-term measures. They could also have encouraged preventative measures and encouraged people to take more responsibility for their own health.

Difference is where the cuts would be made. The manifesto said

As we more than halve the fiscal deficit over the next four years, we will ensure that we do so in afair way with a combination of a return to economic growth, cuts to lower priority programmes and fair tax rises. Responsibility at the top means people paying their fair share and we believe it is right that those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden of paying down the deficit.

^Labour believes we should protect frontline spending on childcare, schools, the NHS and policing, and reform our public services to put people in control.
Millions of people working in our public services embody the best values of Britain, helping empower people to make the most of their own lives while protecting them from the risks they should not have to bear on their own. Just as we need to be bolder about the role of government in making markets work fairly, we also need to be bold reformers of government.^

Not the slash and burn of ideological austerity.

This. Just as I started my teaching career. He also brought in same sex civil partnerships, which benefitted me.

The Labour manifesto also included significant cuts at the time.

"long-term sustainable health service amongst other things."

Do you think medicine and associated infrastructure is a one time investment?
Or do you think that workforce planning, preventative programs, building/adapting hospitals and retaining experienced staff and updating equipment need a rolling level of investment to keep pace with the country's needs?

There has been nothing stopping further investment under the Conservatives over the last decade - I'd put money on that being a vote winner.
Although maybe receiving large donations from private health providers distracted them.

Blair/Brown wasted hundreds of billions on buying our votes with our own money (eg child trust fund) whilst not securing a long-term sustainable health service amongst other things

How exactly do you think they could have future proofed the NHS against Tory cuts?

How's that "investment" working out? That is the problem with both parties and probably our electoral system in that they do not think long-term/strategically (10 years+) but just until the next election. Blair/Brown wasted hundreds of billions on buying our votes with our own money (eg child trust fund) whilst not securing a long-term sustainable health service amongst other things.

*The Tories have been blaming their disasterous fiscal policies on ‘global events’ since I was born.

Blair/Brown was pretty much the only government who invested in education, health and public services in my lifetime.*

This

Thatcher. Just kidding.
Blair.

I don't suppose that kind of protest march would be permitted these days.

BBC..

This shows the scale

In February 2003, 1.5 million people protested in London against the looming Iraq war. They didn’t stop the conflict… but their legacy still looms large

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/11/slugs-iraq-war-london-protest-2003-legacy

There’s also a very good programme re 20 years on on BNC iPlayer which I’ll check out, what I’ve heard is v interesting

Nothing. Both as bad as each other in that regard.

200,000 people in London according to the organisers, 100,000 according to the police. So probably somewhere in between.

Polling, however, shows a majority in favour.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2015/06/03/remembering-iraq

I guess I'd go with John Major. I was at school and then university - which was free - health care seemed good, property was affordable, it felt like there was a promising future ahead with lots of opportunities.

Not Maggie because of poll tax, not Blair because between him and the US the whole Middle East was destabilised - and look at the problems that led to, not Brown as he sold off half our gold reserves, not Cameron as he was to blame for the Brexit vote debacle and then fucked off, not Theresa May as she failed with Brexit, not Boris because he is a pompous fucking imbecile, not Truss for very obvious reasons, and not Sunak because the country is fast going down the pan and he seems unable to do anything about it.

And what has stopped governments in the following 30 years from increasing supply of social housing? At the time of Thatcher social housing was in much less demand as population much lower and private rent was much cheaper.

This thread downplays it but the demos were huge at the time, possibly the largest in numbers.

"She did not reduce housing supply just mode of ownership (my parents were delighted to buy their council house)."

She reduced social housing supply by not replacing those properties sold.

John Major was the last hood Tory. We thought he was boring at the time but we'd surely swap these current clowns for him anyway.

Cameron got us into this mess in the first place! What a coward he was.

Before that the sliding doors moment was Clegg siding with Cameron only to be fucked over within days on university tuition fees. Never has one man had more egg on his face.

It's all been down hill from there now descending into pure corruption and fascism.

John Major hangs his head in dismay no doubt.

How ridiculous to blame Thatcher for the housing crisis when she left power over 30 years ago when things were totally different. She did not reduce housing supply just mode of ownership (my parents were delighted to buy their council house). Slashing interest rates started with Brown and was continued by the dreadful Tories and meant people borrowing more and high house prices which is terrible for young people as well as encouraging second home ownership as pensioners couldn't make money on savings. Tuition fees were down to the over expansion of higher education again started by Blair and continued by Tories. Tories/Labour are two cheeks of the same arse.

Signed & sealed by John Major.