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Original poster

Im putting this up to as a survey. Its about Thatcher.

66 replies

ivanhoe · 28/01/2011 19:56

How many people on this site believe Thatcher created a cult of individualism in this country ?

Also, if you believe Thatcher had the power to destroy society/communities.

How do you think she did this ?

OP posts:
Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 14:33

/////Ivanhoe, your habit of using ///// instead of quote marks is very annoying - are you having a keyboard malfuntion?/////

Where are the quote marks ?

OP posts:
throckenholt · 29/01/2011 14:53

"Many communities depended on skilled manufacturing industry that no longer exists"

Many communities in the early 20th century relied on the sale and management of horses. When the internal combution engine came in, the smart ones retrained as mechanics...

true - but sadly in the case of the UK in the 80s it wasn't a case of retraining but buying our horses from aborad where humans rights were less well respected and corners and costs could be cut. And also they were often more polluting (thinking of lower quality coal here).

If the global market paid the true costs of transport (eg really factored in the costs of global warming etc) rather than the short term costs, then it would not be cheaper to import everything, but better to keep our own skilled workforce to build our own goods.

throckenholt · 29/01/2011 14:54

Where are the quote marks ?

above the 2 on my keyboard. Or you can use a > like I did.

BelleDameSansMerci · 29/01/2011 14:59

I loathe her and what she did to parts of this country. I think her policies/ethos have contributed considerably to the situation we're in today.

throckenholt · 29/01/2011 15:18

I think she also helped to polarise the country as well - the southeast and the rest. And made the country even more London centric than it was already.

coldtits · 29/01/2011 16:20

My quotes are about the 2 - you have to press shift

Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 17:11

""BelleDameSansMerci Sat 29-Jan-11 14:59:59
I loathe her and what she did to parts of this country. I think her policies/ethos have contributed considerably to the situation we're in today""

You "think" right.

OP posts:
coldtits · 29/01/2011 17:29

Ivanhoe, that's so much better, thank you.

I can't really offer anything else to this thread as am 80s child.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 17:34

///////Ivanhoe, that's so much better, thank you.

I can't really offer anything else to this thread as am 80s child.///////

That's my pleasure.

OP posts:
coldtits · 29/01/2011 17:35
Angry Wink
CarGirl · 29/01/2011 17:44

For selling off the council properties and not giving the money back to the local councils to build new (which is what was supposed to happen but instead central government kept it) I detest the woman.

The changes she made to the housing situation is a key factor to the mess we're now in.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 18:27

//////For selling off the council properties and not giving the money back to the local councils to build new (which is what was supposed to happen but instead central government kept it) I detest the woman.

The changes she made to the housing situation is a key factor to the mess we're now in//////

Absolutely correct on all factors.

OP posts:
onimolap · 29/01/2011 18:34

I was talking to MIL recently about how the proceeds of sales of council houses was used. Do either of you have a link to an authoritative account?

I didn't think it went to central Govt: they weren't the owners. Didn't each Council choose how to use the money?

onimolap · 29/01/2011 18:51

Cancel my last: I've done some googling. The right of councils to sell to their tenants has always existed. It used however to be very rarely done. It really started in the 1960s (by GLC), but dropped out of favour in the 1970s.

The Housing Act (1980) encouraged it to start up again, and all proceeds went to the councils. However, the first call on the funds thus realised was the clearing of the Council's debts. Only once those were paid off, could the money then be reinvested into whatever projects, including housing, the Council decided.

I suppose the question is also whether it is right to run public services on an overdraft. It's easy rack up bills whilst you spend lavishly (and presumably hope it's not you that has to clean up the mess when your credit runs out).

Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 19:01

Thatcher sold off council houses during her "right to buy". Through the 80's she would not allow local authorities to build any more council houses.

British builders were forced to go to Germany to work, due to there being no building work in Britain.

There was a comedy programme about 4 British builders working in Germany during the 80's.

This programe epitomised Britain's stagnasion of building council houses during the 80's under Thatcher

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 29/01/2011 19:09

ivanhoe you are referring to the brilliant Auf Wiedersehen Pet. We never missed an episode.

I live in South Yorkshire. You may safely assume that there are no Maggie Thatcher fans round here

Original poster
ivanhoe · 29/01/2011 19:31

""Bunbaker Sat 29-Jan-11 19:09:32
ivanhoe you are referring to the brilliant Auf Wiedersehen Pet. We never missed an episode.

I live in South Yorkshire. You may safely assume that there are no Maggie Thatcher fans round here""

Hi, I remembered the name, but could never spell it ha ha.

Tell me, how would you define Thatcher supporters ?

OP posts:
onimolap · 29/01/2011 19:39

HMT rules did restrict (but not totally prevent) various types of capital investment, which slowed significantly (but did not stop) the building of new council houses.

It's interesting to note however, that Labour did nothing about this until after 2008 (a year when fewer than 400 new Council homes had been built in England), and only in 2009 did they make the change.

The red herring in all this though, is that social housing and council housing are not synonymous. New social housing has been built throughout, by housing trusts (often in close partnership with councils). it's a bit like the Labour PFI approach - it'll still be done, but it'll be off the Council's books.

smallwhitecat · 29/01/2011 19:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Deciduousblonde · 30/01/2011 06:52

I really don't know why we have to have another Thatcher thread.

I think Ivanhoe is somewhat obsessed Wink

Original poster
ivanhoe · 30/01/2011 10:51

""Deciduousblonde Sun 30-Jan-11 06:52:45
I really don't know why we have to have another Thatcher thread.

I think Ivanhoe is somewhat obsessed""

I have a very good idea. Go somehere else on this site then, and write your own posting.

OP posts:
Chil1234 · 30/01/2011 11:33

@Ivanhoe. You do realise this is a parenting website called 'MUMsnet'... aimed at being a community of mothers (and incorporating fathers, grandparents and other people with responsibility for children)? None of your posts to date have had anything to do with parenting and your hectoring tone towards anyone that dares disagree with your politics is perilously close to bullying.

Telling people to 'go elsewhere' is not your call to make.

Original poster
ivanhoe · 30/01/2011 13:40

""Telling people to 'go elsewhere' is not your call to make""

No, its just a suggestion that the person probably never thought about when he/she asks, and I quote,-

(I really don't know why we have to have another Thatcher thread)

OP posts:
imright · 30/01/2011 18:45

IVANHOE.

You are OBSESSED with Lady Thatcher!

Did you have some sort of cougar relationship with her, when she was MP for Finchley? Did she give you the elbow?

Or do you just like saying the word, Thatcher...Thatcher...........oooooohh.

You've got a chance now, Dennis is no longer with us, bless his soul! Wink

littlemisslost · 30/01/2011 19:01

Can I Join in????
I am just about nold wnough to remember some of the misery created by thatcher and her governement in the late 70's and 80's, I am from the midlands and alot of my extended family are from Cornwall. Here in the Midlands many towns and cities have never recvovered from the collapse of the mining industry and the car manufacturing: Peugeot, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Massey Ferguson, Rover, JCB, Dunlop they have pretty much all gone.
How can anywhere recover from losing all those massive employers on top of the mines all going under.
The culture of greed is absolutely right and still very much there now, Yes...I think that people who work hard should reep the benefits of that work and be rewarded but qwe have to look out for eachother because not everyone is a benefit sponger as much as the tories would like us to believe. I think we need to 'look after ourselves' and 'take care' of eachother. Instead of floggin teenage mothers from getting pregnant for a free flat or life on benefits, think about what it says about our society where these young girls feel that is their best option !!!