Does anyone here think Mrs Thatcher did a good job?

[Cortina]

It interesting to see how much she's disliked.

When I was at Uni she was much admired by a swathe of students whose parents had done very well during the 'Thatcher years'. Those who had come from mining communities, for example, had very different opinions.

It was rare anyone with self made parents back then had a bad word to say. Are our views shaped by our families experiences and how well off or otherwise we were growing up? There were a few I knew back then who came from a v well off background whose parents and wider families were labour supporters with a 'social conscience' but these were very much in the minority.

"she used the north sea oil money to pay for the dole, she fucked the miners over and left them to rot with no great energy plan for the UK after the mines were shut"

Utter nonsense. She allowed the building of gas fired power stations. They emit far less carbon, stop acid rain completely and is far cheaper than UK deep mined coal, nuclear and wind. A totally ubiquitous energy source that can be shipped from anywhere.

It is Labour that messed up the energy plan with its first banning new gas fired power stations, then dithering over nuclear and then going into renewables that are so expensive and unreliable they never supply enough electric to power the UK.

"She was the first PM I voted for.."

Well, exactly. She was part of the cult of politicians where the personality drove the party. She was definitely charismatic, although am sure that even beta realizes that one votes for the party, specifically the MP in their constituency.

Am quite left, but don't like the 'dancing on people's graves' sentiment. Dreadful.

Nope. I voted for her.

Well, not directly BeenBeta - unless she was actually your MP?

No she was not my MP and when I put that cross on the ballot paper I was voting for an MP of course but I can't remember who. I do remember the moment though and it was her policy and the ideas behind them that I believed in.

I always voted for Maggie.

I thought she did a good job when she beat the unions.

I think the unions have more to answer for than she does.

I learned about unions at school, standing up for peoples rights, giving them a fair wage and conditions, all good, you would think.

Then my DF became a shop steward of the local engineering company which had supported the town around it for many many years.

He had friends in the union at the silk manufacturing business "courtaulds" which many will be familiar with the name.

The union would ask for more wages, more lunch breaks, shorter working weeks, you name it. They my DF included were on a power trip. Calling the men on strike when ever they did not get their way.

Eventually, as I at the grand age of 10 had predicted the company went bankrupt. As did courtaulds, a window manufacturing factory, peanut factory, and every major employer.

Destroyed by the unions.

This was at the time that Maggie was fighting the miners and others. Unions were holding this country to ransom. Uneducated power hungry men, who could not see their demands were rediculous.

So I think she did a good job. But having smashed the unions something needed to be done to provide a means to make a living to those than no longer had one.

It seems that there is no manufacturing in this country any more and we are just one big shopping mall.

Lynlies, Courtaulds!!!! I can remember it all going wrong thanks to the unions.

Not a Braintree girl were you?

I was, not now though

Me too!

Margaret Thatcher did some things wrong IMO and many things right. She was patriotic to this country and on the whole put the country first.

In RL Maggie was and is now, still very popular.

Long live Maggie!

her big crime was selling off the council housing, they promised the councils would be given the money to build new properties but central government never did they kept in the central coffers.

The whole drive to own your home and unaffordable rents is one of the biggest financial problems this country has - elsewhere in Europe affordable rental is the norm.

She is one of most admired people. We need a few more with back bones like her in this country !

She knew what she wanted and by god she was getting us there. I'm from a working class family from Sheffield and was just aware of what was happening .....

When I started work I was horrified to find everyone voted labour, asked why and it was always because my dad/grandad/uncle did - wtf ????

'elsewhere in Europe affordable rental is the norm.' Depends where you are and what you want. Where I am the rents for a 4 bed go from 1500 to 2500 euros per month. My big 4 bed house in Cornwall is £850 per month and that is the max I can get.

I let my place in Cornwall just to clear that up.

No

[that was easy]

she keeps getting up again, like the terminator, says it all really

though was an interesting doc on radio 4 the other day about working class tory supporters

scary, but you (and I) rent nice houses in nice areas on the outskirts of the capital. It is entirely possible to rent cheaper property and still work/commute to Brussels. Now compare that to London....

Lefties don't like pre-industrial rural because it tends to be very conservative. Even i have gulped in disbelief at some of the views widely accepted in these parts, which are hangovers from about two hundred years ago. It amuses me that I am considered left wing by my FIL.

I live in one of the grottiest parts of Surrey the cheapest 3 bed place is £1k (mid terrace, patio area out back if you're lucky) ........, in fact most 2 beds are that much. Of course there are plenty of lovely houses down the road for £4k plus per month.

Mrs Thatcher was a good Prime Minister she single handedly forced the Labour party to abandon its pure socialism agenda and form New Labour.

No.

No but I'm Scottish and had to pay the Poll Tax a WHOLE YEAR early than you in England/Wales/N Ireland.

Yes.

Those who malign Mrs Thatcher should remember what a basket case the country was in the 1970s. The country was crippled by strikes as unions made more and more unreasonable demands. We had to be bailed out by the IMF and were pouring billions into inefficient and uncompetitive industrys.
She wasn't perfect but she did go along way to turning the country round.