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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:
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8
TooBigForMyBoots · 30/03/2023 10:09

Since Blair got people at home to stop shooting and bombing us it was a great time for many. But I'm aware that many British people don't give a shit about NI.

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 10:14

Coxspurplepippin · 30/03/2023 10:05

Yes, I don't think many have read the question in that way. Thatcher was PM during my 'best times'. That doesn't mean I think she was the best PM, just that she was PM when I was young, carefree, enjoying life without the worries that come with the responsibility as you get older.

There will probably be young people who will look on these Tory years with fondness - not because of the Tory government but because they were young, beautiful, had freedom, no responsibilities, were enjoying partying, travelling, making their mark on the world.

Show quote history

I read it that way too although I’m surprised that so few answers say now.

I mean I loved being young, it was great fun but I don’t miss house shares, career wasn’t exactly what I wanted either, I have dc now, nice community and good things happening. I travelled, studied, partied etc but I wouldn’t go back

Original poster
verdantverdure · 30/03/2023 10:18

Fififafa · 30/03/2023 09:59

Blair. Life just was more fun, affordable, public services worked better, things seemed more optimistic and this country didn’t seem as racist back then.

It didn't, did it? We felt like a nicer country overall.

OP posts:
Zipps · 30/03/2023 10:20

Blair. By a mile. Everyone seemed to have enough money, were pretty happy and less stressed than now.

Kazzyhoward · 30/03/2023 10:30

Yes, of course people liked Blair and Brown because they borrowed enormously and threw money around. Any fool can do that. The trouble starts when that money has to be paid back, interest paid on it, PFI hospitals/schools to be paid, etc.

Have we all forgotten that Brown had to keep extending the "economic cycle" to try to prove his philosophy of paying back the debts within the economic cycle?

Or calling state benefits "tax credits" to try to fool the IMF into netting them against tax receipts to make our accounts look better?

Or paying for hospitals and schools of PFI to try to get the debt "off the books", again to fool the IMF?

Boris and Rishi were popular when they were borrowing hundreds of billions to pay for people to sit at home during covid!

It's the easiest thing in the World to borrow money to get the "feel good" factor of spending it, whether at a Country level or household level. It's paying back the debt that causes the heartache!

Kazzyhoward · 30/03/2023 10:32

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.

Wasn't it John Major who did all the work to work towards peace in NI?

TooBigForMyBoots · 30/03/2023 10:41

No, not all of it @Kazzyhoward. Blair and the amazing Mo Mowlam busted their balls to get the GFA.

WeeBitOfWoo · 30/03/2023 10:41

TooBigForMyBoots · 30/03/2023 10:41

No, not all of it @Kazzyhoward. Blair and the amazing Mo Mowlam busted their balls to get the GFA.

Exactly!

Lionoso · 30/03/2023 10:51

Major through to Blair for me.

I hated Blair, but liked the whole labour government as a whole, Iraq war aside. Brown and the few years after weren't terrible either

It feels like one shit show after another since London 2012 though.

GobbieMaggie · 30/03/2023 11:17

Blair lied through his teeth at the despatch box and dragged us into an illegal war that costs £ billions - on the strength of a fictitious dossier, dreamt up by his spin doctor, that destabilized an entire region and led to the deaths of 100,000 ppl. He then went on to flood the country with mass immigration ( one of the prime reasons for Brexit ) and gave up £7bn of the rebate negotiated by Margaret Thatcher ( the gnomes of Brussels must have been pissing themselves laughing ). Brown then, brilliantly, mounted a glossal raid on pensions that cost £118 Billion and sold our gold reserves when gold was at it's lowest price for 20 years.

Today, Blair ( the multi £millionaire ) is reviled for his part in the Iraq War and widely seen as a war criminal. Brown, the unelected, is just seen as incompetent, certainly in the city of London where ppl shake their heads when anybody mentions his name, which isn't very often.

Kazzyhoward · 30/03/2023 11:18

And don't forget 9/11 "A good day to bury bad news" was under Blair's watch!

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 11:21

GobbieMaggie · 30/03/2023 11:17

Blair lied through his teeth at the despatch box and dragged us into an illegal war that costs £ billions - on the strength of a fictitious dossier, dreamt up by his spin doctor, that destabilized an entire region and led to the deaths of 100,000 ppl. He then went on to flood the country with mass immigration ( one of the prime reasons for Brexit ) and gave up £7bn of the rebate negotiated by Margaret Thatcher ( the gnomes of Brussels must have been pissing themselves laughing ). Brown then, brilliantly, mounted a glossal raid on pensions that cost £118 Billion and sold our gold reserves when gold was at it's lowest price for 20 years.

Today, Blair ( the multi £millionaire ) is reviled for his part in the Iraq War and widely seen as a war criminal. Brown, the unelected, is just seen as incompetent, certainly in the city of London where ppl shake their heads when anybody mentions his name, which isn't very often.

Blair lied through his teeth at the despatch box and dragged us into an illegal war that costs £ billions - on the strength of a fictitious dossier

Why weren’t there repercussions from this?

Looking at what’s going on now with current committee sending us to war on the back of it is a big deal

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 11:23

Kazzyhoward · 30/03/2023 10:30

Yes, of course people liked Blair and Brown because they borrowed enormously and threw money around. Any fool can do that. The trouble starts when that money has to be paid back, interest paid on it, PFI hospitals/schools to be paid, etc.

Have we all forgotten that Brown had to keep extending the "economic cycle" to try to prove his philosophy of paying back the debts within the economic cycle?

Or calling state benefits "tax credits" to try to fool the IMF into netting them against tax receipts to make our accounts look better?

Or paying for hospitals and schools of PFI to try to get the debt "off the books", again to fool the IMF?

Boris and Rishi were popular when they were borrowing hundreds of billions to pay for people to sit at home during covid!

It's the easiest thing in the World to borrow money to get the "feel good" factor of spending it, whether at a Country level or household level. It's paying back the debt that causes the heartache!

So true. After a splurge whoever prefers paying it after the bill arrives. Pretty much no one.

Notonthestairs · 30/03/2023 11:25

I'm not sure Conservative supporters are necessarily in the best position to argue about financial decisions or immigration.

Besides which the question was who was PM during the best of times for you - so unless you are suggesting posters are lying then you are not in a position to contradict them.

GobbieMaggie · 30/03/2023 11:33

Notonthestairs · 30/03/2023 11:25

I'm not sure Conservative supporters are necessarily in the best position to argue about financial decisions or immigration.

Besides which the question was who was PM during the best of times for you - so unless you are suggesting posters are lying then you are not in a position to contradict them.

Just point out the inconvenient truth of it.

TooBigForMyBoots · 30/03/2023 11:55

@Notonthestairs the Conservatives are shitting themselves expect to see much rewriting of history over the next year.

It's the 25th anniversary of the GFA but they've forgotten what actually happened and one of the most amazing politicians of our lifetime, Mo Mowlam.Shock

Notonthestairs · 30/03/2023 11:58

I dont think even John Major himself has ever claimed sole credit for the GFA. Anybody that read anything about the GFA knows that he put in some of the work but that getting it over the line was down to many, many extraordinary people including MM.

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 12:01

I’m braced for a Labour win if it happens, I doubt it’ll be 90s again but if it’s not totally hopeless that’ll be a start. So if people vote for them I actually hope they’ve got it right rather than wrong this time. Although the gender stuff I won’t forgive.

I voted for Blair but I can easily see it was an upswing we paid for in 2008, and I’m really not sure how he got away with the dossier lies.

As for personal lives being better, have people not progressed? I get the excitement of being young but other stuff -careers, dc, nicer homes is it all downwards since 90s?

Neededanewuserhandle · 30/03/2023 12:02

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 11:23

So true. After a splurge whoever prefers paying it after the bill arrives. Pretty much no one.

Show quote history

Factually incorrect - go and look at the borrowing figures from then and then compare to how things are now. It's just a tired and untrue narrative from Tories who are still trying to pretend they are "good with the economy" inspite of all factual proof of the contrary.

Neededanewuserhandle · 30/03/2023 12:04

I voted for Blair but I can easily see it was an upswing we paid for in 2008
Bollocks - you can blame the international (especially the US) banking system for that - we didn't just have a crash in the UK
and I’m really not sure how he got away with the dossier lies.
Because the war had Tory support - there were more rebels on the Labour benches than the Tories.

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 12:05

Neededanewuserhandle · 30/03/2023 12:02

Factually incorrect - go and look at the borrowing figures from then and then compare to how things are now. It's just a tired and untrue narrative from Tories who are still trying to pretend they are "good with the economy" inspite of all factual proof of the contrary.

Show quote history

Boom and bust. Of course the former is more fun but the bust is right behind it,

RuthW · 30/03/2023 12:07

Blair and Boris plus the next two

Neededanewuserhandle · 30/03/2023 12:07

Boom and bust. Of course the former is more fun but the bust is right behind it
Aye, Trussenomics.

Neededanewuserhandle · 30/03/2023 12:08

Except for 13 years we've had bust and more bust (unless you are already a millionaire of course).

Kazzyhoward · 30/03/2023 12:08

MarshaBradyo · 30/03/2023 12:05

Boom and bust. Of course the former is more fun but the bust is right behind it,

Show quote history

Lets not forget Brown said "no more boom and bust" - that worked well for him didn't it??