To wonder what the best goverment you have lived under is?

[malificent7]

And also the worst? My older family members werent impressed with the socialist goverments they lived under

The coalition, in contrast, inherited a complete and utter shambles from Labour, forcing them to make some very difficult decisions. They still managed to run a sensible and pragmatic government.

We had a global crash. The shambles was global. The Tories just before the crash said they would follow the same spending plans as Labour if they got in. Then the crash happened, they all got it wrong on that. brown’s policies after the crash was pulling us out of the crash. Coalition came in, imposed austerity, debt soared.

I am not an economist but why is there an automatic assumption the economy will sink under a Corbyn govt? Maybe it will but maybe his plans to boost spending and infrastructure will boost growth in the long run? Some economists say it is what this country needs. Of course no one knows, seems economics is not an exact science.

Howard government in Australia for the reason that that particular government introduced sweeping gun reforms after a mass shooting that enabled me to grow up in a safe country. I look at recent events in America and am very glad that I grew up in an era of strict gun controls.

Major and then the Coalition for me.

I know this is off subject but ......even if you genuinely believe that Blair/Brown could not have done anything to protect or cushion Britain from the global financial crisis - even if you truly somehow believe during the biggest economic boom in modern times it’s ok to sornd the lot and borrow more, how on earth people can’t see that their economic policies are a fundemental cause of many of the problems we face today and were disastrous for this country I do not know. PFI has saddled the public sector, particularly NHS and education, with a structural debt that can never be recovered from. ‘Austerity’ cuts are peanuts in comparisons to the monies that is being swallowed up attempting to service that debt.
Public sector pensions ....there is no money to pay for them. And it’s not because, as the daily mail would have you believe, public sector workers are sponging off the tax payers or had ridiculous gold plated pensions. They had pensions that were paid for by contributors and were in the ‘black’. Brown raided them - left everyone of them with a crippling deficit - and pissed the money up the wall.
There are countless other examples.
There is a reason ‘people’ felt better off under that government and no one in the recent history before or after them can replicate the level of spending ..... it’s nit affordable and they have screwed generations to come!! Gah!!
Oh and destabilized an entire region and entered into an illegal war
Surely only Thatcher left a worse legacy..... and it’s a toss up!

Blair from 97-2001

Worst by a mile - Thatcher. Northerner working class families had a tough time under her.

@Fefora because they won't boost spending? I mean basic economics. If you takeaway money then people can't spend it/just leave.

For me, New Labour.

I grew up on a council estate. I had no one to look up for to see how to improve myself. No one cared what my gcse results were. I had no clue about university or how to even begin to get their. So unobtainable.

I fell pregnant at 17. Got myself to sure starts and they literally saved my life. I went on so many courses, mixed with mothers from all walks of life, it raised my aspirations. I aslso got social housing which allowed me not to worry about housing affordability or stability and allowed me to focus on my education.

The I went for a part time access course (these have stopped now) and eventually went to uni, with full bursary and qualified as a social worker.

Non of this is available now, I know I would not have come this far without the support around me from sure starts and college.

It seems there is no hope now.

Blair. But I would say that being as centre left as they come. It's a good question to ask.

Harold Wison

Thatcher easily the worst.

Blair (apart from Iraq) but unsure if that government caused the economy problems or if it was a global thing which would have happened anyway.

unsure if that government caused the economy problems or if it was a global thing which would have happened anyway.

The clue is in how many other countries were affected (and how few were not), but Tory revisionist historians lie and say it was uniquely a Labour issue

Blair. But I would say that being as centre left as they come

AKA Tory Lite.

Call me what you like. I am well aware the new left enjoys judging people for their beliefs. Might be worth reading the thread though. You do understand that in order to win corbyn would have to win over Tory voters. Sorry if that dilutes the brand. Slagging off the people who you need to vote for him might not be the wisest strategy but you crack on.

@OutyMcOutface, as said I have no economic expertise/training, but from the little reading I have done it is said that running a national economy is very different to running a household budget and sometimes you have to spend to boost long term growth. It’s Keynesian economics as formulated by British economist, John Keynes in the 1930,s at the time of the Great Depression. In fact President Roosevelt followed this with his big deal during the Great Depression in America and the economy was boosted and the country got out the of the economic depression. I think it was the neo liberalists in the 70’s and adopted by thatcher and Reagan who moved away from that line of economic thinking. Yet perhaps we need it again. Our national debt is still soaring even though there have been huge spending cuts.

@effic, during the first few years Blair/Brown didn’t overspend and kept the annual economic budget in surplus, something that has rarely happened over a century. They then did spend on NHS, education etc as Thatcher and Major spent so little. I have read there is an argument they perhaps they should have kept more money back but no other western country was and nor was their spending over the recommended 4% of GDP debt.

I grant the PFI deals have been horribly expensive and not good. The governments since still continue with them under a different name. I think had Brown kept some money back during the boom years the global crash was so big and deep the country like all the West would still have had big debts from the huge sums involved bailing out the banks even with some financial cushion. Politicians across the divide and globally all messed up.

The fact is even with cuts the debt is growing so austerity is not working.

Blair
I think the Iraq war was a travesty, and I think he as a human is fairly abhorrent.
But on a personal level my quality of life and that of my family's was excellent

New labour was the first one I remember and that seemed pretty good in comparison to today’s shit storm with the Tories. Having a disability in today’s world with the current government is terrifying. I hope Corbyn saves us all.

Blair and Brown. I didn't shout at the radio nearly as much as before and since.

SNP

Followed by Blair pre 2001 and brown.

Blair and Brown both personally and professionally. I have had the misfortune to become a widowed, single parent under the current lot. I am a professional working in the public sector and I am sat in a freezing house because I cannot afford to fix the boiler anytime soon. The families I work with are in a far worse position, at least I am garanteed to get a wage every month. With pay freezes and below cost of living pay rises my pay has in real terms been cut by 25%. Most of my case load have had benefits stopped or are sanctioned every time their circumstances change and are dependant on food banks or charity. These are the most vulnerable people in our society and their children.

I would say the worse has been camerons lot, he shut down all debate about disability and lied a lot about it,
Then he did brexit.which side your on doesn't matter , it divded people badly.
So i think labour, not sure we as a family would be if they were in power now, just cameron was so bad, i hate the conservatives

Best: Thatcher. Stopped the 'managed decline' consensus and dragged the country (some parts kicking and screaming) into the present.

Worst: lot of competition for that. Callaghan for being completely and utterly out of his depth. Blair for nearly everything. Heath for getting us the worst possible deal in Europe and causing the present upset.

Though if you include his time as Chancellor, Brown, Brown, Brown!

First term of Blair was the best for me. I work in the NHS and we did get the money promised in the manifesto. Made a huge difference not only in pay rise but also in equipment on the wards. Then there was the whole Iraq thing........... ruined it.
I think the older generation and their horror of unions is a little coloured by the Daily Mail Telegraph prevailing headlines of the time. Inflation was fast eroding wages to the point it wasn’t worth saving up to buy things because of the fast increasing price. Unions were being pushed by their members for more wages because people were pushing them. Then their was the whole ruling class thing going on as evidenced by the Heath Gov “ Who Rules Britain” argument. It was felt, and said, by patriarchal and hierarchical management in Industry that people of intelligence and experience should be trusted to make the decisions, not the working class. Sounds ridiculous but that’s how it was - think I remember Chair of National Coalboard spouting this nonsense.
If you are interested in those times have a look at John Pilgers 1971 documentary called Conversation with a Working Man. It’s on YouTube

Best = Blair

Worst = now, as bad Thatcher but with Brexit thrown in for good measure

Yes I’d say the worst is this one. I’ve never known such a level of incompetence, so many individuals in this Gov who think only of their self interest. It’s so blatant.