Maggie

[Sheffield Spur]

I'm from Sussex, so that is where my perspective is from. If I was from the North I would probably have the same perspective as you.

Any leader's policies of any sort will have winners and losers. She won three elections, therefore I think it is fair to say her policies, at the time, benefitted more people than they hurt.

Oh so true. But again, the winners were predominently in the south, whilst the losers were in the north. Remarkably, the tory-voting heartland was where....? the south, and the north predominently labour voting.

Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?

 

[Sheffield Spur]

Or didn't happen under Blair, Brown, Wilson.

She did lots of damage to communities, she did what she thought necessary to turn round the economy post the '70s mess that the country had sunk into. Did she destroy our manufacturing or did the over-Unionised industry destroy itself? Was it ever really productive post-The Empire?

Lots of people spouting on here based on their own local myths and prejudices but the bottom line to me is that she was a strong (and often misguided) leader but she was open about her policies and directions in a way that weasels like Blair didn't have the gonads to be and did no more damage than Blair just in different ways.

Didn't like her, didn't vote for her but did admire her in a way that no other politician of the last 40 years has come close to.

Local myths and prejudices? Sorry mate. Cold, hard fact. I have lived through it. Did you, and where?

 

[clownfoot]

I like to think I'm an open minded person, not too over the top with anything, but I'm glad she is dead. The effects of what she did still linger in Liverpool, and friends of mine from across the North East say the same for where they are from. I'm not naive enough to think that people who supported her will change their view of her, but if a person has empathy then they can see the atrocities that she instigated.

Week long party in Liverpool. Friday night there are places giving out free champagne and many places giving away free milk in the old dogs honour

She crippled the country. People complain about this country having no national pride, she is the reason. National industries had their prices for her. Paying for it now

 

[Sheffield Spur]

They were not myths. Totally destroyed huge chunks of south Yorkshire. It had a direct impact on my family, which had everything to do with her governments policies

Howdy Lynne!

Glad to see you see the truth, but then you would since you were here. I find it quite unbelievable that some can be so thick-skinned about all this.

Those who were born in, and lived all their lives in the south, really don't know what it is like. We would all like to have a Not In My Back Yard policy. Thanks to Thatcher and her cronies in Government, those in some parts of the north never had that luxury.

 

[Sheffield Spur]

No doubt the scousers will be happy.
Whatever the verdict they p&ssed on their own dead. Nothing worse than that

Errr, you know that for a fact do you?

My mate was a fireman on the pitch at the Hillsborough disaster, and he saw many horrendous things. But he did not see that.

 

[Skinhead in a Suit]

Oh so true. But again, the winners were predominently in the south, whilst the losers were in the north. Remarkably, the tory-voting heartland was where....? the south, and the north predominently labour voting.

Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?

Not a coincidence at all. Don't understand why you would think so. Weren't the preceeding Labour Government's policies made with the North in mind rather than the South?

 

[lynneb]

Howdy Lynne!

Glad to see you see the truth, but then you would since you were here. I find it quite unbelievable that some can be so thick-skinned about all this.

Those who were born in, and lived all their lives in the south, really don't know what it is like. We would all like to have a Not In My Back Yard policy. Thanks to Thatcher and her cronies in Government, those in some parts of the north never had that luxury.

Hi

My Dad was a highly qualified Electrical Engineer, installing and maintaining the blast furnaces. Steel companies were privatised and shut down. Huge mass unemployment in the area. Being a hard worker, my Dad did get back into work a few years later, in Iraq (post Iran / Iraq war), USSR China & France. Not before his self esteem had taken a massive blow - dark days indeed.

 

[Baleforce]

I'll openly admit to being a middle class southerner so there are people that know far better than me the consequences of the Tory 80's

my question is this, had anybody else been prime minister for this time would we still have four thousand coal mines and however many factories running now, does anyone believe that the shift away from industry was anything other than inevitable and required?

 

[DubaiSpur]

Her funeral should be entirely privatized. Sponsored by McDonalds, with eight Ronald McDonalds carrying her casket. Upon the coffin will be engraved the tasteful motif 'Barclays Flexible Cash ISA - apply now!', and her 21-gun salute should be performed by coke-snorting Gordon Gekko-type City boys.

It's what she would have wanted. Sadly, she'll get a public funeral at the public's expense, and it is truly ironic that the people in the North whose livelihoods and future she destroyed will have to contribute to the political tossjob that will now ensue as her image is restyled into that of a visionary on par with Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi, all sweetness and light.

She was the most divisive figure in modern British history. She will always be hated by many, many people. She took power in hard times, with inflation running rampant and the unions wielding undue power over the future of the economy. She proceeded to do things that today have left us with a country that doesn't build anything, produce anything or own any public utilities, while recklessly promoting the yuppy 'me' culture to the point where she created a generation full of people like Dave Cameron.

An overreaction to the problems? History will decide.

 

[Sheffield Spur]

Not a coincidence at all. Don't understand why you would think so. Weren't the preceeding Labour Government's policies made with the North in mind rather than the South?

I remember the 1970's well, and I don't remember Callaghan or Foot's lot channeling much to the north or favouring the north. But Thatchers policies clearly decimated parts of the north.

Do remember that in some parts of the north, i.e. the old established industrial areas, people born into those areas didn't have a lot of choice over jobs. In Barnsley, you went down the pit. Watch Kes again, a brilliant film.

Thats the difference between south and north generally; alternatives. In the south, alternative employment prospects are far wider and better. Thatchers actions started the rift and difference.

 

[Lily White]

Maggie was pretty much PM for my whole childhood. The only good thing I can think to say about her is that she had balls and our current politicians sadly lack them. But she created the culture of materialism and greed and ruined the community spirit and society.

 

[johnola]

Do you really believe that?

Go to Rotherham, or Barnsley, or S****horpe, or Middlesborough, or Liverpool, or Doncaster, or Saudi Sportswashing Machine, or Sheffield. And take up that viewpoint.

Are you in Surrey?

That woman ruined the north's job base. May she burn in hell.

What is wrong with Surrey pal? I am surrounded by working mines here mate pull your fudging fingers out you lazy crybabies.

My dad worked his nuts off to pay your dole money, where's the thanks?

 

[Skinhead in a Suit]

I remember the 1970's well, and I don't remember Callaghan or Foot's lot channeling much to the north or favouring the north. But Thatchers policies clearly decimated parts of the north.

Do remember that in some parts of the north, i.e. the old established industrial areas, people born into those areas didn't have a lot of choice over jobs. In Barnsley, you went down the pit. Watch Kes again, a brilliant film.

Thats the difference between south and north generally; alternatives. In the south, alternative employment prospects are far wider and better. Thatchers actions started the rift and difference.

I agree with a lot of what everyone has posted on this subject from their own subjective viewpoint. Yes, her policies were very divisive, but she came to power when change was needed (the trade unions were holding the rest of the country to hostage IMO) and because of her actions my family were able to prosper. My Dad started his own lithographic printing business, eventually employing 15+ people, and provided the best possible upbringing he could for my siblings and I whilst working 6-7 days a week. I would not be where I am today if we had continued with the same policies that were in place when she took power.

Naturally, I sympathise with anyone who suffered because of her actions but at least she had the balls to stand up and fight the powers that be that were dragging the entire country down. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a politician since who has had the strength or verve to stand up to the bloated capitalists who are currently ruining the country even more.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

ah the good old northern chip on the shoulder but with gravy not tomato sauce

when getting coal from australia is cheaper then the getting it in Yorkshire im really not sure how anyone can suggest that it was not the right move. My only problem with thatcher is that when they sold of the council houses that money was not used to build more council houses.

The north only has itself to blame but because it is weak it will never except any blame like a drug addict that does not want to get itself help. I have retrained in my life and gone out and got different jobs, it is what you do when you lose a job. Unless of course your northern or a labour voter then you expect it to be handed to you on a plate and if it is not then you can moan tat bloody souther softies bastards tin westminster.

New labour created a million extra civil service jobs mainly in the north because they wanted a new voter base, instead of doing the right thing in their 13 years and creating a new industry up there, they realised northern and labour people dont want to go out and do proper jobs they just want to live off the south. Without the south east bailing out the north they would have a similar GDP as latvia but none of the work ethic.

She did well to get rid of the coal mines what should happened is that more effort was created to promote new industry in it place. But anyone who thinks thatcher destroyed the north should look at Detroit, citys and areas fall it happens.

 

[Skinhead in a Suit]

I'll openly admit to being a middle class southerner so there are people that know far better than me the consequences of the Tory 80's

my question is this, had anybody else been prime minister for this time would we still have four thousand coal mines and however many factories running now, does anyone believe that the shift away from industry was anything other than inevitable and required?

This.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

Ought to add i was the only person i knew family included who thought the poll tax was just and fair, i always thought it was quite a socialist thing actually in that everyone paid the same amount for the services they used. I do not care if the bloke next door to me is a millionaire or a street cleaner who should be paying the same amount. What he does with whatever is left over in his pay packet is his business.

 

[thfcsteff]

This is what makes me laugh about all this mythology surrounding Thatcher. Most of Britain's infrastructure and energy is now owned by Europe so all this Thatcher stood up to Europe nonsense just don't wash. All these conservatives are always anti-Europe yet are extremely relaxed about the French state dictating the cost of our energy. Hmm, makes real sense\o/

Thatcher wasn't a patriot she was an opportunist. She didn't give a hoot about the Falkland Islands when she approved the removal of a naval fleet and she didn't care about the fascist junta in Argentina when her Government were approving arms sales to them.

All this high horse guff about Thatcher. She despised Britain, wanted to hack off our industry and social infrastructure for short term profit and began the general slide in a nation which has nothing left but a city of London that kittens itself out in an industry making money out of thin air. Which of course can never, ever possibly go wrong\o/ Er, but it did, spectacularly.

The biggest powerhouse in Europe is Germany. Why? Because they actually make things. Britain doesn't make things anymore, doesn't produce anything and is beholden to Europe and Russia when it comes to determining the cost of basic essentials like heating a home.

Which bodes the question:-k Did we really win the cold war and why are we suspicious of Europe when Thatcher made it possible to sell off our infrastructure to half of Europe anyway.

Oh, and Saddamn's officers were trained at Sandhurst during her rein in office.

You are a hero!
Well said.
=D>

 

[thfcsteff]

Yep according to her Nelson Mandela was a terrorist and she defied the international embargo on apartheid era South Africa.

Her support for the vile fascist dictator Pinochet says it all. Thousands butchered and innocent women tortured and raped by animals and yet Thatcher supported him and gave him refuge in the UK.

Keep going, you're right, people will refuse to see any of this of course...

 

[thfcsteff]

do you think those things would not have happened had Heath or Whitelaw won the leadership?

Comparing Ted Heath with Thatcher is like comparing Rupert the Bear with TED!

 

[spursman17]

Her funeral should be entirely privatized. Sponsored by McDonalds, with eight Ronald McDonalds carrying her casket. Upon the coffin will be engraved the tasteful motif 'Barclays Flexible Cash ISA - apply now!', and her 21-gun salute should be performed by coke-snorting Gordon Gekko-type City boys.

It's what she would have wanted. Sadly, she'll get a public funeral at the public's expense, and it is truly ironic that the people in the North whose livelihoods and future she destroyed will have to contribute to the political tossjob that will now ensue as her image is restyled into that of a visionary on par with Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi, all sweetness and light.

She was the most divisive figure in modern British history. She will always be hated by many, many people. She took power in hard times, with inflation running rampant and the unions wielding undue power over the future of the economy. She proceeded to do things that today have left us with a country that doesn't build anything, produce anything or own any public utilities, while recklessly promoting the yuppy 'me' culture to the point where she created a generation full of people like Dave Cameron.

An overreaction to the problems? History will decide.

And you live in Dubai? A country built upon by imported slaves who work and live in conditions that would not be acceptable for a dog.

Did you migrate there for the tax free lifestyle? I've never known a country projecting such extreme wealth while tourists and residents alike turn a blind eye to the slavery behind closed doors.

Thatcher may have not pleased all but her descisions were for the better of the majourity. She was strong and direct and had more guts that all those in the house of commons combined.

Only could I pray this country comes under similar leadership in the future.