To wonder if life was better under a Labour government?

[Wasloafbetter]

Or are people looking back with rose tinted specs?

I started teaching in the Blair years and I found it pretty awful, although how much of that was down to my own lack of experience and how much was down to government policies is hard to say.

I’m wondering if people are looking back nostalgically (have seen this on a thread this morning where apparently the 80s were a great time for freedom of expression with no pressure to conform, which don’t tally with my memories at all) or whether life was better then.

I’m 42, by the way - was 17 when Blair was made PM.

"Although, we’ve been most financially comfortable under a conservative government I don’t think poor people were better off under Labour and their keenness to get everyone to university misunderstood the needs of the country."

1. If you're more financially comfortable under the conservatives you are lucky and you're in a minority.

1. I was poor under Labour, and they massively improved my life with their introduction of a minimum wage.

1. People were offered the chance to go to University. They weren't pressured, and young people took up that chance in huge numbers. Because they wanted to and felt capable of it. And why not? Other countries encourage their population to get as educated as they want to. It's only here that it's thought of so badly.

Labour weren't perfect. They didn't go nearly far enough, especially with building more social housing, mainly because, I think, they were afraid of being seen too socialist. But I can guarantee - as other people have written here - for those on low incomes, those who were ill, the difference was radical and hopeful.

Actually just remembering my poor midwife and health visitor experiences giving birth in the Labour years and the closure of maternity units due to large debts built up.

Having said that things are probably worse under the Tories but I do hate blinkered Labour supporters who are unable to see that some things were bad even before 2010z

I was 17 when Blair was voted in

For me personally I benefitted from a Labour government

I became a single mum in 2006 (fleeing an abusive partner) and was able to claim benefits to rent a house and have a basic standard of living for me and my dc
then I got a place at university to train as a nurse. I didn't pay fees and got a bursary of about £20k a year. I also was lucky enough to get a council house in 2009 due to my private rental being mouldy and dangerous. Then Due to having affordable rent I managed to save a deposit and buy a place in 2015. I've made money on that house and upsized two years ago.

I don't think any of this would have happened if the Tories had been in charge.

Although no fan of Blair, I still benefit every day from some of the things that New Labour introduced. I’m still on tax credits, and every time I go for a walk in my closest National Park and look at the big purple edged areas on the OS Map I’m grateful for the Right to Roam legislation.

This thread is making me think I'm not going to bother voting in future. What's the point?

Wealthy people will come on and tell you it was no different and they did nothing.
But they aren’t the people they benefitted from things like sure start.

I have to go to some really grim parts of London, and the difference between now and then is the utter lack of hope. People just ground down completely and utterly by life and how hard it is.

"This thread is making me think I'm not going to bother voting in future. What's the point?"

Are you reading the responses? Lots of people are telling you the difference.
Even if you're not in a marginal your vote counts because parties are always looking to gain seats. So if you do something like vote Green in a place with no hope of them getting in, then next election, the parties will scan the votes and make changes to try to win you over.

If you're in a marginal then you have the power to vote tactically and make real change.

Not voting gives you no power whatsoever.

It was better, but it laid down the foundation for a lot of today's problems.

Beginning of unlimited immigration which led to Brexit, the Iraq war which destabilised the whole region and which is now the root of many of today's problems.

Honestly, not much different apart from seventies Labour and the three day week and power cuts which was bloody awful.

Under Blair, there were some good ideas such as Care to Learn funding single mum's nursery places so they could continue in education. Great idea, but no local co-ordinator making sure people did not fall through the gaps.

Same for Special Guardianship for children. Again, good idea in principle but the legislation was weak and still enabled abusive parents to take people back to court again and again for contact which it was meant to deter.

Tbh, expecting a labour party to make life better will not happen. There is huge division between Keir Starmer/Angela Rayner at the moment. You have to present a united front if you are to win an election or make the voters believe you are. As much as I dislike Angela Rayner, leaving her out of a so called drinks party says it all.

Spoke to DH who is the same age and he says it is better under the Conservatives and he is from a pro labour family.

Depends on your life situation.

I have more money under the Tories, but public services are so much worse that I worry about social ills that may affect me in/directly (courts blocked up, getting ill, losing our jobs and being skint).

I understand even pre-Covid the Tories spent more public money than last Labour govt and at least with Lab we had something to show for it - schools, libraries, more police nurses etc.

PFI is a huge issue but this lot are just scamming us and siphoning public money to cronies.

We had more global influence I think?
Right now everyone is laughing at us

In any case, we’ve had 11 years of Tory and I’m struggling to name anything that’s got better…

Sure start was great but tax credits were a disastrous idea- enabling companies to pay a less than living wage and meaning so many people became reliant on government support.

I remember Blair first coming to power being a time of great hope and the first years of New Labour being exciting. Politics seemed to be full of credible thinkers.

But that said I agree that there are a lot of varying recollections and rose tinted glasses on Mumsnet.

Personally, there were very many bog standard average moments for me personally during the 90s and 2000s and I also don't recall the 80s being a time of great acceptance. MPs resigning because they were gay for example.

In fact, what has got better since coalition/Tory govt?

I think childcare is better (new user, we get 20% tax free)

Personal tax allowance - me and DH tax bill reduced quite a bit.

I cannot think of anything else. I might start a thread.

ElsieMc the three day week and power cuts occurred under Ted Heath’s Conservative government.

Gay marriage! How could I forget that

@Wasloafbetter

Fluffy you did ask me if I you was getting confused with the 60s, so I’m not sure what you meant if you didn’t think that was my opinion.

No, it isn’t a thread about a thread.

I did. Because you posted it.

It's possible to get confused about what other people say, without it being a reflection of your opinion.

So what thread did someone say that on?

@Fet2021duejuly2022

The last time Labour were in power loads of Iraqi children were killed. Not sure why anyone would vote for them (or tory’s)

And far fewer children were living in poverty in the UK.

All I really remember was the 'weapons of mass destruction'.

Tony & Gordon disliking each other and try to pretend they didn't. And John Prescott brawling in the street.

I guess the answer depends for many on how much money you have. Life for ordinary people was far, far better under Labour.

@Thursdaymiami

Wealthy people will come on and tell you it was no different and they did nothing. But they aren’t the people they benefitted from things like sure start.

I have to go to some really grim parts of London, and the difference between now and then is the utter lack of hope. People just ground down completely and utterly by life and how hard it is.

Exactly this.

The reason wealthy and middle class people should care though is that one day it might impinge on their life and/or they may well need support from the State. I am from a fairly middle class upbringing and have generally middle class friends, some anecdotal experiences they have had which might have been better under a government which actually cares about public services include:

1. My middle class friends adult son was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and now needs state support help - care coordinators, housing help, etc. This could happen to anyone, being rich and middle class is no defence.
2. One of my friends sons was mugged whilst walking home from a night out, chances our that our children will live their lives and will have to walk through areas and places the middle classes forget exists. Perhaps this mugging might not have taken place if police/justice funding had not been cut or there was a more public health approach to the prevention of crime.
3. NHS - Most rich people have elderly relatives, they''re eventually going to need NHS care sooner or later. I have a Tory voting friend who had to wait 1 hour 25 mins for an ambulance for her dad when he was experiencing chest pains. This was a huge shock to her when I told her that was fairly normal now.

I remember morethan Irayand TB and GB bickering. I remember realinvestment in education. I remember my stepkids notworrying about doing A levels because they got a bursary. They are now teaching and nursing, so giving back. I also remember every single Tory bar Ken Zclarke supporting war in Iraq.

Iraq and

In all honesty, I doubt there would be a noticable difference whoever was in power.

No Labour government in history has been even slightly as shit as the current shower of cunts.

3 Day week? Ancient history but Jim Callaghan was in charge and the Winter of Discontent

The rest, as they say, is history 😳😳