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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who was PM during the best of times for you?

718 replies

verdantverdure · 29/03/2023 22:44

Me?

Blair. Brown, first bit of Cameron.

On paper I earn more money now but everything's tits up isn't it? From the economy to shit on beaches to being able to get access to the NHS when needed.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
WestwardHo1 · 29/03/2023 23:21

Major and Blair.

Major because I was young and a student and had free tuition fees.

Blair because, well. The same reasons as for everyone else. I was a young NQT. There was so much funding for schools, hospitals, training. Everything was better. Even the weather was better 😁

Coxspurplepippin · 29/03/2023 23:22

Thatcher Grin but that was because I was young, carefree, adventurous. Had nowt, earned peanuts but had the chutzpah to believe I could do anything, go anywhere and be what I wanted to be. They were my best times and Thatcher happened to be PM. Oh to be young and ignorant......

But if you mean which PM was the best - Blair/Brown.

MMMarmite · 29/03/2023 23:23

Interesting question to think about, thanks OP!

CouldShouldWont · 29/03/2023 23:25

Another Blair / Brown

happy being young and free in london when they got in - I remember the whole of Kensington and Bloomsbury seemed to have sold out of champagne - I frequently give thanks that labour were still in power as I needed to make ends meet as a single mum and retrained as a teacher

it makes me so sad the damage the coalition/conservative government have done to the country

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 29/03/2023 23:25

Ed Heath.

I could deliberately soil myself, run around shouting gibberish at anyone I liked, bathe once a week, sponge off other people, and nobody batted an eyelid.

FreddiesTeeth · 29/03/2023 23:28

Blair

Original poster
verdantverdure · 29/03/2023 23:31

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 29/03/2023 23:25

Ed Heath.

I could deliberately soil myself, run around shouting gibberish at anyone I liked, bathe once a week, sponge off other people, and nobody batted an eyelid.

Grin
OP posts:
Glitteratitar · 29/03/2023 23:32

Blair is a war criminal who has blood on his hands. Whatever he may have done to make you feel safe, he is responsible for deaths of thousands of innocent people. For me, any good he did for the UK is immediately cancelled out by his actions.

BaroldBalonz · 29/03/2023 23:32

My best times were under John Major (snigger) then from mid-Cameron onwards. Because I'm only thinking of myself though, I'm heavily biased towards graduating and good money (when a degree actually meant something) and then when the kids were bigger and my own life was easier again.

I'm 52 and I think that your age/life stage is probably more relevant than who the pm was.

TooBigForMyBoots · 29/03/2023 23:35

Major/Blair.

I'm from NI. The change they brought to our lives was enormous.

NerdyBird · 29/03/2023 23:38

Blair, Brown, early Coalition.
Blair and Brown where when I was leaving uni and starting out. I'd paid no fees, had a grant and student was less than £10k I think.
Rent was affordable even in London.

Early Cameron/Coalition is only because they made cuts in my deparment which meant I was able to take voluntary exit with a good payment. I had a break then started at the company I work for now. It's not as well paid (had to take pay cut) but loads better for work life balance and proper flexibility. I wouldn't have made the move if I'd stayed in government.

Davros · 29/03/2023 23:39

Heath/Wilson/Callaghan

Original poster
verdantverdure · 29/03/2023 23:40

BaroldBalonz · 29/03/2023 23:32

My best times were under John Major (snigger) then from mid-Cameron onwards. Because I'm only thinking of myself though, I'm heavily biased towards graduating and good money (when a degree actually meant something) and then when the kids were bigger and my own life was easier again.

I'm 52 and I think that your age/life stage is probably more relevant than who the pm was.

Maybe. I'm 43 and I can't remember ever having the "Well we can't holiday in the U.K. this year because of all the shit on the beaches" conversation.

External factors do impinge. We earn more money now than we ever have but everything else is soooo bad that things felt better when we earned less than half of what we do now.

There was a positivity and optimism and I was proud to be British.

OP posts:
Justdontbejudgy · 29/03/2023 23:40

Blair/Brown and a bit of Cameron until he decided to appease the Euro-sceptics.

Jourdain11 · 29/03/2023 23:42

mowly77 · 29/03/2023 22:49

Liz Truss for sure. Those were a few great weeks for me.

😂
I enjoyed watching her resign.

OvertiredandConfused · 29/03/2023 23:44

Major and Cameron for me - could be life stages though. New graduate and bought a flat in my mid 20s. Then back to work post children and household income improved, even with childcare costs.

Aroundthetwist · 29/03/2023 23:44

Blair and Labour absolutely trashed the economy, they inherited a surplus and splashed cash to such an extent that when the financial crash occurred (also caused by their inability to properly regulate banks), Britain was dangerously exposed. Any austerity that came after Blair, came, because he was economically irresponsible. So whilst he may have been popular at the time because of public services splurges, in reality - income inequality soared under him, as did youth unemployment.

Plus, he’s a war criminal.

Cameron.

MajorCarolDanvers · 29/03/2023 23:44

Tony Blair

Passivhaus · 29/03/2023 23:44

Blair 97 was the best of times there was such an optimism. Hopefully Keir can replicate some of that. Thanks England for over a decade of the Tories.

jaqueandjill · 29/03/2023 23:47

Blair.

Jourdain11 · 29/03/2023 23:48

In France we had Chirac while you guys had Blair. I don't reckon they really hit it off!

My grandmother used to call Blair "that man with the teeth".

When I first came to the UK, Brown was PM. I really liked him and I remember being quite gutted at the 2010 election. I've still never been able to vote in a General Election!

Lemonyfuckit · 29/03/2023 23:48

Blair/Brown years hands down

Jourdain11 · 29/03/2023 23:50

Passivhaus · 29/03/2023 23:44

Blair 97 was the best of times there was such an optimism. Hopefully Keir can replicate some of that. Thanks England for over a decade of the Tories.

I can't quite see Sir Keir leaping onto the Festival Hall stage and saying, "A new dawn has broken, has it not?"

MarshaBradyo · 29/03/2023 23:50

Aroundthetwist · 29/03/2023 23:44

Blair and Labour absolutely trashed the economy, they inherited a surplus and splashed cash to such an extent that when the financial crash occurred (also caused by their inability to properly regulate banks), Britain was dangerously exposed. Any austerity that came after Blair, came, because he was economically irresponsible. So whilst he may have been popular at the time because of public services splurges, in reality - income inequality soared under him, as did youth unemployment.

Plus, he’s a war criminal.

Cameron.

Life is good for us now but it was too with Cameron

I dread Starmer getting in, if he does I’ll have to avoid some specific radio for a while, just hearing them

My life and its ups and downs is mostly separate to government though. It doesn’t impact me that much - 30 hours cc was really good and lockdown was utterly hideous but beyond that my happiness isn’t related to them

carriedout · 29/03/2023 23:53

My life was better under Blair but I preferred Brown.

The recent parade of increasingly useless Tories have made me Angry