Baroness Thatcher Dead

[Smiffy]

I dunno. How many?

Haven't a clue either. But it was lots

 

[SocketRocket]

BL car production peaked in 1972 and was in decline thereafter. Who was in power in 1972? I don't think it was Labour.

Thatcher turned it upside down, not around, and sold off most of the decent stuff for a song, with profits going to Germany, France, Japan or the US thereafter. Most of the British makes bought it due to poor outdated design and poor manufacturing quality.

Do you think it's the Governments job to design cars? Can you explain exactly what decent stuff Mrs Thatcher sold off for a song with the profits going to Germany, France, Japan or the US please? Exactly who's fault was the outdated design and poor manufacturing quality?

I worked during this period for British Aerospace and we designed iconic products like Concorde and many others. Why did she not ruin this then?

 

[Smiffy]

The truth of the matter is that during the 70's this country was the pits. We were a laughing stock all over the world.
Would you have bought British made goods???? Not a bloody chance.
Maggie Thatcher came along and was determined to sort it out. To clear out the dead wood.
As far as I'm concerned, she did an alright job.

 

[Kellfire]

As far as I'm concerned, she did an alright job.

Yip, by setting us on a path that saw us buying everything from abroad...

 

[Ethan]

Do you think it's the Governments job to design cars? Can you explain exactly what decent stuff Mrs Thatcher sold off for a song with the profits going to Germany, France, Japan or the US please? Exactly who's fault was the outdated design and poor manufacturing quality?

I worked during this period for British Aerospace and we designed iconic products like Concorde and many others. Why did she not ruin this then?

The point is that the British car industry was dying from the early 70s because it was rubbish, Labour effectively nationalised it in 1975 to try and keep it alive, Thatch did nothing to save it and actually wanted to allow it to die sooner than it did.

Thatcher was an ideologue who wanted to privatise everything, and keep inflation down at all costs, even at the cost of massive unemployment. This policy worked so well that things crashed in 1987 on Black Tuesday. By then most sensible economists knew that monetarism was not an effective policy. But Thatch did not listen to any opinions she didn't like the sound of, so she ploughed on until she was stabbed in the back by her own party.

She also started the process of deregulation in the City that contributed to the collapse in the world economy in 2008, and she started the process which is now reaching its zenith with the privatisation of the NHS.

She left a legacy all right, but it is one of relentless destruction.

 

[patricks148]

The point is that the British car industry was dying from the early 70s because it was rubbish, Labour effectively nationalised it in 1975 to try and keep it alive, Thatch did nothing to save it and actually wanted to allow it to die sooner than it did.

Thatcher was an ideologue who wanted to privatise everything, and keep inflation down at all costs, even at the cost of massive unemployment. This policy worked so well that things crashed in 1987 on Black Tuesday. By then most sensible economists knew that monetarism was not an effective policy. But Thatch did not listen to any opinions she didn't like the sound of, so she ploughed on until she was stabbed in the back by her own party.

She also started the process of deregulation in the City that contributed to the collapse in the world economy in 2008, and she started the process which is now reaching its zenith with the privatisation of the NHS.

She left a legacy all right, but it is one of relentless destruction.

well put Ethan.

And to you folk bleating about the Unions...

I bet you still like your; paid holiday, sick pay and working rights.

none of which you would have without Trade Unions, depite what you read in the Sun and Daily Mail etc.

 

[Smiffy]

Just watched a group of youngsters dancing around on the telly celebrating her passing.
They weren't even born when she was in power
Sums it up really.

 

[stevie_r]

The point is that the British car industry was dying from the early 70s because it was rubbish, Labour effectively nationalised it in 1975 to try and keep it alive, Thatch did nothing to save it and actually wanted to allow it to die sooner than it did.

Thatcher was an ideologue who wanted to privatise everything, and keep inflation down at all costs, even at the cost of massive unemployment. This policy worked so well that things crashed in 1987 on Black Tuesday. By then most sensible economists knew that monetarism was not an effective policy. But Thatch did not listen to any opinions she didn't like the sound of, so she ploughed on until she was stabbed in the back by her own party.

She also started the process of deregulation in the City that contributed to the collapse in the world economy in 2008, and she started the process which is now reaching its zenith with the privatisation of the NHS.

She left a legacy all right, but it is one of relentless destruction.

So when the world economy collapsed in 2008 it was down to Maggie? 18 years after she left office no one saw fault in what was happening and sought to try some form of remedial action? Really remarkable that you can hold someone to account for an event like that nearly two decades after she left office.

 

[Kellfire]

So when the world economy collapsed in 2008 it was down to Maggie? 18 years after she left office no one saw fault in what was happening and sought to try some form of remedial action? Really remarkable that you can hold someone to account for an event like that nearly two decades after she left office.

Without deregulation we would have had a shield against the economic downturn...

By the way, the world's economy didn't collapse, some countries are thriving.

 

[stevie_r]

Without deregulation we would have had a shield against the economic downturn...

By the way, the world's economy didn't collapse, some countries are thriving.

So humour me here because I'm really thick; in the 18 years since she left power, non of the experts (each with a brain the size of Belgium) thought 'we could really be in the crap here - what we need is a degree of regulation, whether people like it or not'?

Point 2 - I'm aware of that mate, I was using someone else's words.

 

[Dodger]

I bet she was willing our independance.

I recall she stopped milk in schools and I also remember a wee ditty that used to sung by the kids about this.... "Thatcher Thatcher the Milk Snatcher" or something like that.

Ironic it's Celtic v Dundee Utd this weekend.

Not sure if it is a web rumour but talk of a minutes applause at Fitbaw games over the weekend......cue a minutes silence up here then.

Ahh the memories.:smirk:

 

[Kellfire]

So humour me here because I'm really thick; in the 18 years since she left power, non of the experts (each with a brain the size of Belgium) thought 'we could really be in the crap here - what we need is a degree of regulation, whether people like it or not'?

Thatcher's methods worked in the short term and the government were happy to ride the crest of that wave, even Labour... look at what Brown did with the gold reserves!

 

[stevie_r]

Thatcher's methods worked in the short term and the government were happy to ride the crest of that wave, even Labour... look at what Brown did with the gold reserves!

I actually feel a bit sorry for Brown (only a little bit), clearly not fit for purpose but so desperate to be PM that he grasped the baton while Blair legged it.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I wonder how many people posting actually lived in the era before her election and knew just how appalling the state of the country was and, tough as it was, she almost single handidly turned things round. Unpopular she was, and still is, in mining and car making areas but the pits and factories were being paid for by the tax payer and losing money as if it were going out of fashion. The unions were holding everyone to ransom and, frankly, something had to be done - they would have all gone bust anyway.

The poll tax was her disaster but I remember when it was first mooted and basically it was a sound idea - anyone working in a household paid their portion of tax. I think the problem was that for the moderate amongst us, the actual figure for each of us was set too high. As a pair living together with no kids at that time, my rates went up and not down as I was led to believe it would under the new system!

If you lived through the era, then you are more likely to mourn her passing and regret that the current crop of politicians are pale by her standards.

A quality post! Well said, Chris!

With regards the miners' strike, the first miners strike was a success because Joe Gormley had the nation behind him. They were underpaid and their conditions were poor and he fought and won better pay and better conditions. Arthur Scargill then decided that he wanted some of that so decided to take the miners out again. He failed and quite rightly so.

You might want to ask Scargill what he did with all the money sent over by the Russian miners! In solidarity they had whip rounds and sent a load of money over for the British miners. When the Russian miners went on strike Scargill refused to send any money. What a lovely bloke!

From Wiki:Scargill led the union in the 1984–1985 miners' strike. Scargill claimed that the government had a long-term strategy to destroy the industry by closing unprofitable pits, and that it listed pits it wanted to close each year. This was denied by the government.
Miners were split between those who supported the strike and those who opposed it (see Union of Democratic Mineworkers). Scargill never balloted NUM members for a strike; this was seen as an erosion of democracy within the union, but the role of ballots in decision-making had been made very unclear after previous leader, Joe Gormley, had ignored two ballots over wage reforms, and his decisions had been upheld after appeals to court were made.[6] Moreover, the strike began when miners walked out in Yorkshire rather than when Scargill called for action.
The media characterised the strike as "Scargill's strike" and most people believed that he had been looking for an excuse for industrial action since becoming union president. Many people, including the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock, believed Scargill had made a huge mistake in calling the strike in the summer rather than in the winter.
In 2007 the Daily Mail published an article based on declassified Soviet documents where Scargill personally contacted Moscow to secure sufficient funds, that were to be transferred through Warsaw[7].
Scargill, along with Labour MP Tony Benn, was actively involved in the campaign to free Russel Shankland and Dean Hancock from prison. The pair had been convicted of the murder of David Wilkie, a taxi driver, by throwing a block of concrete from a bridge onto his car. [8] The first round of their victory was achieved in October 1985, when their life sentences for murder were reduced to eight years for manslaughter on appeal. They were released from prison in November 1989.

Later years

After the miners' strike, he was elected to lifetime presidency of the NUM by an overwhelming national majority, in a controversial election where some of the other candidates claimed that they were given very little time to prepare.
He stepped down from leadership of the NUM at the end of July 2002, to become the honorary president. He was succeeded by Ian Lavery.

Legal disputes

On 25 August 2010, it was reported that Scargill had been told that he no longer qualified for full membership of the NUM.
In February 2012, Scargill won £13,000 in a court action against the NUM, primarily for car expenses, and for the earlier temporary denial of membership. Scargill admitted there was 'bad blood' between him and the NUM General Secretary Chris Kitchen, who said, "I honestly do believe that Arthur, in his own world, believes that the NUM is here to afford him the lifestyle that he's become accustomed to."
However, in December 2012, Scargill lost a similar case concerning rent on his flat in the Barbican, London. For years the NUM had been paying £34,000 annual rent for the flat on Scargill's instructions, without the knowledge of NUM members or many senior officials; Scargill claimed the NUM should continue funding his flat for the rest of his life, and thereafter for any widow that survived him. Chris Kitchen said: "I would say it's time to walk away, Mr Scargill. You've been found out. The NUM is not your personal bank account and never will be again."

Sounds like a lovely bloke!

You want someone to blame for the miners' strike - Arthur Scargill's your man!

As for Hillsborough - she was no more part of a cover up than I was! What interest did she have in covering up such a tragedy? It was the Police - pure and simple.

Maggie was brilliant for the UK - end of. From the Falklands to the storming of the Iranian embassy she was behind our armed forces 100%. Not something that can be said of today's spineless politicians!

Also, if she was that bad, surely in the 13 years that Labour were in power they'd have righted all of her wrongs and sorted the UK out, wouldn't they?

Oh no, that's right, it's because of the left and so called socialism that we're now in this horrendous state!

RIP Maggie - a true British citizen.

 

[stevie_r]

I recall she stopped milk in schools and I also remember a wee ditty that used to sung by the kids about this.... "Thatcher Thatcher the Milk Snatcher" or something like that.

She wasn't PM in 71 when it stopped for the 8+ kids, minister for education I think. It was a post war measure to provide nutrition given that rationing in varying degrees went on for quite some time (according to my mum) by the 70s it probably wasn't necessary. I remember it stopping but a few kids in the class still got it if they had a real need.

 

[Ethan]

So when the world economy collapsed in 2008 it was down to Maggie? 18 years after she left office no one saw fault in what was happening and sought to try some form of remedial action? Really remarkable that you can hold someone to account for an event like that nearly two decades after she left office.

Of course it wasn't all her fault but a few that followed, including Blair, bought the ideology, much like many US politicians bought the Reaganomics story.

My point is that the legend of Thatcher is that she saved the economy in the UK, but a careful examination suggests the opposite may be true. My main objection to her is actually the way she delayed peace in NI but that is another story.

 

[stevie_r]

Of course it wasn't all her fault but a few that followed, including Blair, bought the ideology, much like many US politicians bought the Reaganomics story.

My point is that the legend of Thatcher is that she saved the economy in the UK, but a careful examination suggests the opposite may be true. My main objection to her is actually the way she delayed peace in NI but that is another story.

funny old world, that's where my utter hatred of John Major comes from

 

[Fish]

My main objection to her is actually the way she delayed peace in NI but that is another story.

Now that I would like to hear, with 4 tours under my belt in some of the worst times in the late 70's and early 80's in sometimes deep C.O.P, I like to know how or why she delayed peace?

Next you'll be telling me that Adams and McGuinness don't have blood on their hands and should be listened to and trusted!

 

[Val]

Now that I would like to hear, with 4 tours under my belt in some of the worst times in the late 70's and early 80's in sometimes deep C.O.P, I like to know how or why she delayed peace?

Next you'll be telling me that Adams and McGuinness don't have blood on their hands and should be listened to and trusted!

She delayed peace as she wouldn't negotiate with terrorists. Bottom line really.

 

[Fish]

She delayed peace as she wouldn't negotiate with terrorists. Bottom line really.

"we should never concede more to those who threaten us with a gun than we would to those who promote their views through the ballot box".