Andy Burnham's new cabinet - who's in, who's out.

They have to be two of the strangest people for that role. It shows it is about jobs for schemers, don't you think? Why not keep Dan Jarvis - the military, like Dannatt, were praising him.

Are you complaining about the winter fuel then or just whingeing when it’s working parents and children that get something for once!

Did you grow up in poverty?

I agree that people of all persuasions and none bought shares. And bought the council houses. They were popular and promoted massively on TV etc. Tell Sid and all that. I’m not blaming people individually, I’m saying I didn’t agree with the policies. I then chose not to try to make a fast profit and had no desire to be a long term shareholder. I would have felt hypocritical to be critical of the mass selling off of public assets then buying. I acknowledge, that’s just me I’m referring to.

I didn’t rent a council house
so can’t comment what I would or wouldn’t have done. I know people who, because of that policy, will not have a word said against Thstcher, equally many who acknowledge this benefited them but didn’t really agree with it, nor voted Tory. And many in between. But not rebuilding subsequently (Labour too!) has been criminal. Houses built for public good in homing people now just private houses for people to maybe continue profiting from. I think if reinvesting and rebuilding had been part of the scheme I would have thought it great.

I wonder how many of those individuals who originally bought the various shares are still part of Thatchers vision of millions of ordinary shareholders, or remained so into the 90s and beyond. Or when offloading for quick profit, who then bought them - large institutions or individuals. From quick search it seems around 70% of English water is now owned or controlled by overseas investors. So that didn’t quite work out as envisioned.

It’s a good thing to be able to see the long term outcome of seemingly popular policies. And use that information.

As you said yourself, a declining memory is a wonderful thing.

He was parachuted in as Reeves turned it down at the last minute.

"I must be an outlier then"

According to various sources: Before the privitisations c. 3millon people owned shares afterwards c9.-11 million people owned shares.

You, your friends and family might not have rushed to buy, but millions of other ordinary people did. Do you really believe that they were all Conservative voters? No political party or their supporters has a monopoly on ethics or principles.

"Didn’t agree with selling off council houses and particularly refusing to allow the money to be used for reinvestment into building new ones. Many beneficiaries do of course love Thstcher for the benefit they personally felt from such schemes."

Does that mean Angela Rayner loves Margaret Thatcher, because I am pretty sure Ange bought her council house under Right to Buy? She also personally benefitted when the capital appreciation provided the deposit for her second home. An £800k three bed seaside flat at the opposite end of the country...

Let's blame the council house buying Thatcher lovers😂

That has to be the weirdest of the appointments, surely? Streeting - Defence

Im sorry we still have that weasel Streeting.

Some of us were there and remember it. We also remember watching Thatcher slash and burn the society she didn’t believe in throughout the 80s.

Read some history. Memories tend to be faulty.

Yep the 70s was fraught with social and political instability at the end. Strikes etc

The country was a mess when she was elected - blaming her is simplistic and pretty unhelpful because ultimately - so what? We are where we are and the world is a different place. Harking back to the 70s as some golden period is bizarre.

blaming thatcher or brexit might make people feel better but it’s not going to fix anything. We have to build from where we are.

I'm not sure that's how I remember it.

We need to learn from history.

They may have been. She was very unpopular until the Falklands war came along and saved her bacon.

Now let's hope he doesn't ruin it by bringing Rayner in.

The problems just before her first GE are what got her in.

Well said.

Many of the problems this country is now facing can all be traced back to Thatcher.

I must be an outlier then - I didn’t rush to buy shares in the 1980s as I didn’t agree with the policy then. We didn’t all succumb to buying things that already belonged to us. On principle. Having said that, I don’t remember that many people in my group of friends or family rushing to buy. Of course many did and I do remember certain dare I say “money money money” types going on and on about how much they would gain.

Didn’t agree with selling off council houses and particularly refusing to allow the money to be used for reinvestment into building new ones. Many beneficiaries do of course love Thstcher for the benefit they personally felt from such schemes.

I think we can see every day now the failings of these policies (probably particularly their implementation which had always been geared to the companies rather than public essential services provision).