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

[cocopopshater]

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.

I don't blame Mrs. Thatcher for the lack of compassion in our society. I said that she herself lacked compassion. And I am with Ben Elton when he says that she's an old lady who isn't very well and should be given a break.

I agree with Marina when she says that the left in Thatcher's day was unelectable. There wasn't really much of an alternative.

I do vote in every election because it wasn't that long ago that women couldn't vote, and I do so in honour of those who fought, lost their liberty and sometimes their lives in order for me to have the freedom to do so. I also vote to show respect to those in other countries who are still denied that right and who are still fighting and dying for a freedom we so take for granted. Our system is deeply flawed and I agree that we haven't had much of a democracy with Blair holding the majority that he did, but at least we don't have soldiers with guns watching us at the ballot box.

No, never. Have always voted libdem - was always shocked by thatcher's policies, and imo she put the cause of women back many years, and also destroyed many communities by her policies and attitudes that basically ended up making house prices go crazy, and force all women back to work - she destroyed the principle of charitable volunteering, and made many feel that working in the home was insufficient,

I was only 8 when she was elected, so its NOT my fault!

Sorry, lifelong socialist and Labour voter here. My parents were active in the Young Liberals in the early 70s and then wandered over to Labour after the Liberal self destructed. I studied Politics at A'Level and I just can't imagine ever ever voting conservative no matter how far up their own backsides Labour get. '97 was my first election though