MSE News: Margaret Thatcher 'leader to knock Britain into shape'

opinions4u

phillj wrote: »

It's thanks to the policies she started in the 80 and continued by successive governments of all colours that we're in this bloody mess now!

I believe one of the key policies of Thatcherism was balancing the budget.

When did the nation last achieve this?

JC_Derby

phillj wrote: »

It's thanks to the policies she started in the 80 and continued by successive governments of all colours that we're in this bloody mess now!

totally agree

Caterina

Scary result. I came into this country when Thatcher was only just starting to ruin it, I remember it when it was still a prosperous and democratic place, then I suffered first hand from Thatcher's awfully narrow-minded politics, she made me redundant! Twice! By abolishing the GLC first and then the ILEA.

I also suspect that most of the people who voted for her in this poll do not remember the Thatcher years!

JuicyJesus

It all depends what sort of shape you want the country knocked into. Cars are knocked into shapes by other cars. Whether those shapes are ones you'd want a car to be in is a different matter.

opinions4u wrote: »

I believe one of the key policies of Thatcherism was balancing the budget.

When did the nation last achieve this?

I don't think anyone really disagrees with the idea of a balanced budget. The problem comes when, like that cretin Gideon Osborne, you cut too far and too fast and don't match it with tax increases on people who can afford them. Do that and you asphyxiate consumer demand, and with that increase unemployment, and with that eventually you decrease tax receipts.

And the current wheeze is a rise on fuel duty. Whoever thought that increasing taxes on an item practically everyone is affected by the price of in every way, either directly through petrol prices or indirectly through public transport prices, is a good idea when consumer budgets are already squeezed should be shot. Same with the VAT rise.

But I digress...

Thrugelmir

opinions4u wrote: »

I believe one of the key policies of Thatcherism was balancing the budget.

When did the nation last achieve this?

Requires a politician of any political persuasion to do the same now. Stand up , tell it how it is, and make tough decisions and drive them through. Little point in being untruthful with the electorate as the current gangs appear to be.

Thrugelmir

JuicyJesus wrote: »

And the current wheeze is a rise on fuel duty. Whoever thought that increasing taxes on an item practically everyone is affected by the price of in every way, either directly through petrol prices or indirectly through public transport prices, is a good idea when consumer budgets are already squeezed should be shot.

Gordon Brown revised the whole basis of the fuel escalator as far back as 2000. This was a major plank of his tax raising policy during his whole term as Chancellor. The current policy as set by GB, still has some years to run.

dunstonh

I remember it when it was still a prosperous and democratic place

Please tell us at what point in the 1970s that was?

I also suspect that most of the people who voted for her in this poll do not remember the Thatcher years!

I remember the Thatcher years. I also remember the 70s (just) with the 3 day weeks and night times without electric, rubbish not being collected etc. The fact about the economic state of the country inherited by Margaret Thatcher cannot be debated. It was a basket case.

Could Michael Foot or Neil Kinnock really have succeeded where Margaret Thatcher did?

JuicyJesus

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Gordon Brown revised the whole basis of the fuel escalator as far back as 2000. This was a major plank of his tax raising policy during his whole term as Chancellor. The current policy as set by GB, still has some years to run.

During an economic boom, as we were in then, it makes sense. My point is to do it now, when the economy is in the toilet and disposable incomes are already squeezed into nothingness, is ridiculous.

At any rate, the Fuel Escalator ended in 2000, and was instituted by the Tories in 1993: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_Price_Escalator So perhaps not the best example

cepheus

Oh dear! It was Thatcher who deregulated the financial industry so I suppose you should get the faulty tradesperson back to fix the bodged job.

tagq2

dunstonh wrote: »

The later years were not as successful but she was certainly the right person for the job at the right time.

Any farmer can increase his liquidity tomorrow by immediately slaughtering all his animals and selling off the meat. Postponing an outcome isn't solving a problem whether the figurehead is Thatcher or Blair (under Brown).

into something that we could be proud of

What pursuit were we engaging in successfully under Thatcher? She very quickly degenerated her message into one which saw money as an end rather than a means. I cannot begin to pinpoint what she stood for. There was too much ideology for it to be pragmatism but it was certainly not capitalism. It was not Britain - our assets and politics were devolved to Europe and America. It was not traditional values, whatever they are. There was a bit of crisis management, but then what?

Thatcher was plain-speaking, sure, and that's a seductive quality in any leader. Weak children look to a strong mother. But mother's not always right, nor does she necessarily even know what she's doing. At her exorcism she was nothing but a stubborn bully, living out the rest of her years as a tobacco rep to reflect that she'd sold herself out to nothing much really.

Also, this poll is great flamebait.

Here endeth the sermon.