Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Philosophy/religion

Join our Philosophy forum to discuss religion and spirituality.

Original poster

So why did you vote for Mrs Thatcher in the 1980s?

29 replies

cocopopshater · 18/10/2006 08:37

Was amused to see on another thread that "Did you vote for Mrs Thatcher?" is an acceptable insult that wont draw down the wrath of MN Towers. Please bear in mind, however, that many of us voted for Mrs Thatcher, and that there may have been extenuating circumstances [optimistic]

So come on, dont be shy!
Ill start: I voted Conservative in 1988 (my first election) because I was young and naive and thought it was all about equal opps for lower middle classes, everyone owning a home and shares etc. And also because my childhood in the 70s was overshadowed with bad news about strikes, pickets, work to rules, decline of car industry etc etc, which all seemed to be linked to the Labour party.

I dont bother to vote at all now, because I realise that both parties take their orders from the Establishment anyway, so why bother to pay lipservice to the extremely thin veneer of democracy as she is practised in the UK.

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 18/10/2006 08:40

Not much spiritual about Margaret Thatcher

I didn't...

FillyjonkthePumpkinEater · 18/10/2006 08:41
Original poster
cocopopshater · 18/10/2006 08:46

ahem - it comes under Philosophy, zippi... kindly bear in mind that this is a confession thread and have some compassion.

Its like Berlusconi. Ive never met an Italian who admitted to voting for him, yet he gets reelected every time! Amazing eh, discounting mass election fraud? Surely MN can do better than that....

OP posts:
lilibet · 18/10/2006 08:46

Where's Jools??

MaryBS · 18/10/2006 08:50

Selfish reasons (so don't flame me for them, this is how I felt at the time). I was brought up in a council house, my family had very little money, and I passed the 11+ and got a scholarship to the high school, where I did well and then went on to university. As opposed to going to the scummy secondary modern on my doorstep where brainy kids were beaten up regularly, or the Catholic school 15 miles away.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 18/10/2006 08:51

For pretty much the same reasons you did coco - particularly the naivety and the fact that generally people were hacked off with the problems in industry.

Why is this in Religion? Is Thatcher a God ?

Tortington · 18/10/2006 08:52

i couldnt vote for her as i wasnt old enough

however i distinctly remember bth my mum and my nan going to vote for her.

my nan an open racist kinda tory all her life.

my mother was the surprise - leftylmilitant middleclass homeowner - very laura ashley.

ans why>?

becuase she was a woman - they thought she would do amazing things for women -

they were/are widows and they honestly believed that as a woman she would bring about some great feminist change.

Original poster
cocopopshater · 18/10/2006 09:01

she did though custy, just by being there. I was 11 when she was elected, and just the fact that the Prime Minister was a woman changed my view about what was possible. I remember that very clearly.

OP posts:
southeastastralplain · 18/10/2006 09:05

i remember my mum and dad being very depressed when thatcher got in. a bad day

GhoulsToo · 18/10/2006 09:06

oh what a shame! I'm off decorating the parents house for the next few days so I'll have to give this one a miss.

Voted for Maggie, would do so again.

Even with the mistakes she made (no-one is perfect) she's the best Prime Minister this country has ever seen.

so stick that in you rpipe and smoke it!

GhoulsToo · 18/10/2006 09:06

naY, LEADER!!!

Tortington · 18/10/2006 09:07

i remember by mum and my nan both surviving on widows pensions and being very dissapointed in her.

a woman in vagina only

nearlythree · 18/10/2006 09:38

I wasn't old enough to vote for her. She had an incredible grasp of economics and the free market and absolutley no compassion for its victims. I still shudder to see the clip of her reciting the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Marina · 18/10/2006 09:44

Agree nearlythree. Good intellect but not a shred of compassion.
Have to day I never did vote for her and still feel depressed to this day that my first general election was her first victory.
It's not just her though - people she worked closely with such as Norman Tebbitt and Keith Joseph, damaged this country just as badly.
But I have to say Labour created the climate for her to win

Original poster
cocopopshater · 18/10/2006 17:23

interesting that you all blame Thatch for the lack of compassion though. I think naked capitalism and little compassion has been part of British society since the Norman conquest, and 40 years of the welfare state werent going to change that in a hurry. British people are too used to doing what the boss tells them, instead of arguing, which is why the post war reforms didnt get us a social framework like Sweden or Germany. (Which is why I now live in Germany, despite the country winding me up no end ) What happened under Thatcher was just a continuation of the last 1000 years of history, it was the dreams of the forties that were out of step with British history.
Im not commenting on the rights and wrongs, please note, just trying to see it in context.

OP posts:
MadamePlatypus · 18/10/2006 17:32

cocopopshater, atleast the Italians have the excuse of proportional representation so Berlusconi didn't have to get that many votes to get in.

I am not sure that Thatcher was that bright though. Maybe its easy to say this with the benefit of hind sight, but privatisation really didn't work too well for lots of industries. Its fine to privatise things and let market forces dictate which services we have as long as the country can cope without them. Also things like selling off council houses seem a bit silly now.

Hiddentory · 18/10/2006 17:37

Some of us voted for her because they have always voted Conservative and always will. I know it will come as a shock to you to know there are confirmed Conservatives amongst Mumsnetters, but there you go. Today is a day for many revelations! I am not revealing myself after the many debacles here recently.

GhoulsToo · 18/10/2006 18:18

you've posted before hiddentory

will you not stand side by side with me?

I'm not scared to say I admired MT

if not, you can CAT me if you want, your secret will be safe with me.

hiddentory · 18/10/2006 18:39

Impressive memory GhoulsToo! That was over a year ago.

No I don't want to reveal my identity because I made a decision not to discuss politics openly on Mumsnet (or in real life). But you are not alone! Look for the Mumsnetter whose posts you often agree with!

GhoulsToo · 18/10/2006 20:13

well there are so few of us (well admitting it ) I would remember wouldn't I?

I seem to remember I tried to get you to reveal yourself then to no avail

meany

drosophila · 18/10/2006 20:23

Hiddentory. Why not discuss politics? I understand that on MN ot could get a bit vicious but in RL?

drosophila · 18/10/2006 20:23

Hiddentory. Why not discuss politics? I understand that on MN ot could get a bit vicious but in RL?

Hiddentory · 18/10/2006 20:49

drosophila - I don't keep my political views hidden from my close friends but equally I don't make a point of discussing them with them either. I think it would be fair to say that close friends would know my political leanings without an overt discussion taking place.

When I said I don't discuss politics in real life, I meant I don't discuss it with acquaintances or people I meet occasionally. I think politics is an emotive subject and it is not the best thing to discuss openly with people whose views you are less than sure of. I am afraid that, much as I enjoy talking to people on Mumsnet, I can't really know any of you in the same way as I know close friends, so politics is a subject I prefer to steer clear from. (Though you can tell I am quite a political animal at heart otherwise I would not be here under this pseudonym, posting!)

makemineadouble · 18/10/2006 21:16

I think I am Hellmouthcusty's mother

mosschops30 · 18/10/2006 21:18

my parents voted for MT, and I remember her in a sort of 'powerful woman running the country sort of way'.

I dont profess to know much about politics but she always gave the impression that the country would be safe, not something i get from Tony Blair.

I have voted Tory since i was able, probably because of how I was bought up and cos it makes me a bit posh