Baroness Thatcher has died

[Oswyntail]

Are there REAlLY people who think Thatcher privatised the railways?

I very much doubt it! Why do you ask?

 

[Butts]

My boss was on a speed awareness course with Scargill during his legal 'difficulties' with the NUM a couple of years ago.

All he could talk about was how it was unfair that he couldn't have a funded flat for life (despite being partly responsible for all those people he misled during the miner's strike's crashing poverty during that period) and that he spent half of his time at his villa in France.

Socialism and fraternity are wonderful when they work for you, aren't they?

My boss, a very traditional left winger from working class Yorkshire stock, said he came across extremely badly.

South of France ....not bad looks like he came out of it a little better than the devastated communities that have been mentioned.

Whatever you think of him at least he had a bit of charisma , talkng of which whatever happened to that other great firebrand of the era Derek Hatton?

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Had it not been for the Honourable lady, the economic situation would have been worse. Therefore I must admit that the Honourable Baroness Thatcher should be afforded the gratest respect after her sad passing.

 

[Ferret]

South of France ....not bad looks like he came out of it a little better than the devastated communities that have been mentioned.

Is anyone surprised?! That's how champagne socialism works after all...!

 

[SS4]

Had it not been for the Honourable lady, the economic situation would have been worse Therefore I must admit that the Honourable Baroness Thatcher should be afforded the gratest respect after her sad passing.

Where will we get a grater big enough?

What is sad is Cameron trying to gain political capital by recalling of Parliament to pay tribute. Thankfully many Labour MPs have declined to attend thus rising their stock. It'd be one thing if it were anything other than a collective **** over Thatcher

Nick Clegg has disgraced those who voted for him once more (is this even news any more?)
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I think "The Minimum Living Wage" should be adopted as "The Minimum Wage"-although this may increase costs for consumers it would reduce the benefits bill and help the low paid.

Also "Rent Controls" would stop profiteering by landlords and reduce the Housing Benefit Bill.

It's easy to say tax millionaires to the hilt but the real money comes from "joe public" in terms of significant amounts. Thats not to say they should not contribute as well.

I fear the truth is we will never have "full employment" and the question is how to deal with and come to terms with this fact.

If only we could take Parties out of Politics the world would be a better place.

I can get behind this although good luck getting that through a profession which would still be full of millionaires backed by millionaires. The old adage of who ones knows being more important than what one knows still holds true

 

[ANorthernGuard]

I'm still struggling with the concept that destroying thousands of peoples lives is "Honourable". I don't really care if some people thought the sun shined out of her *rse or some people feel she was the best PM in our history. She was the destroyer of the working class and working rights and I really hope that song reaches the Top 5 at least, It maybe capitalism but it will also show how many people hated her. I would say god have mercy on her soul, but to be honest I don't think she ever had a soul.

 

[Butts]

I'm still struggling with the concept that destroying thousands of peoples lives is "Honourable". I don't really care if some people thought the sun shined out of her *rse or some people feel she was the best PM in our history. She was the destroyer of the working class and working rights and I really hope that song reaches the Top 5 at least, It maybe capitalism but it will also show how many people hated her. I would say god have mercy on her soul, but to be honest I don't think she ever had a soul.

If that is true how is it that you still work in a heavily Unionised Industry which pays reasonable wages and has quite good working conditions ?

 

[SS4]

If that is true how is it that you still work in a heavily Unionised Industry which pays reasonable wages and has quite good working conditions ?

Before Thatcher almost all professions had a union. Now only a select few do - much to Cameron's chagrin I may add!

 

[ANorthernGuard]

If that is true how is it that you still work in a heavily Unionised Industry which pays reasonable wages and has quite good working conditions ?

Maybe because as stated in another thread she wasn't interested and left us alone (To a point) plus its easier to shut a Pit down then a railway.

 

[Butts]

Before Thatcher almost all professions had a union. Now only a select few do - much to Cameron's chagrin I may add!

I believe there were 12 million union members in 1979 compared to around 6 million today.

Even 12 million would not represent the majority of the working population

 

[Teaboy1]

I believe much depends on where you lived during her time in power. I was never a miner or rail worker, steel worker but I was a power worker and to me her lasting impression was broken communities and hopelessness. If you were a banker, speculator or professional, you were fine but the ordinary and worker in traditional industry, you were screwed. And dont tell me metal-bashing industries are dead ... then you have never travelled through Switzerland , France or Italy!!
Did nothing to help long established comminities who worked hard to put bread on the family plate. Sorry but "Thatcher - Milk Snatcher !!!"
Too many shattered communities will be her lasting memorial IMHO.

 

[Butts]

Maybe because as stated in another thread she wasn't interested and left us alone (To a point) plus its easier to shut a Pit down then a railway.

So you may consider moderating your claim about her being "The destroyer of the working class and working rights" ?

 

[Donny Dave]

Before Thatcher almost all professions had a union. Now only a select few do - much to Cameron's chagrin I may add!

I beg to differ .... Most, if not all industries and professions have unions, it's just that most unions now work with management to resolve problems rather than just walk out when someone sneezes ....

 

[Butts]

I beg to differ .... Most, if not all industries and professions have unions, it's just that most unions now work with management to resolve problems rather than just walk out when someone sneezes ....

How come there are only 6 million Union Members if this is true - have all the others opted out ?

 

[table38]

"Thatcher - Milk Snatcher !!!"

As with the demise of the coal industry, the damage was started by the previous goverment:

Harold Wilson’s government removed free milk from all 11- to 18-year-olds in 1968

Three years later the Heath administration took away milk from 7- to 11-year-olds in England (Thatcher was Education Secretary)

I remember it was horrible stuff anyway - we got 1/3 pint bottles either frozen solid after being left outside or luke-warm after being put near the radiators to defrost!

No semi-skimmed in those days, when it froze, you got a "plug" of frozen cream pushing the top off the bottle.

 

[jon0844]

How many unions are there? Who keeps count of the numbers?

 

[Butts]

As with the demise of the coal industry, the damage was started by the previous goverment:


I remember it was horrible stuff anyway - we got 1/3 pint bottles either frozen solid after being left outside or luke-warm after being put near the radiators to defrost!

No semi-skimmed in those days, when it froze, you got a "plug" of frozen cream pushing the top off the bottle.

You forgot to mention half the silver bottle tops were peppered with holes from "bird beaks"

The stuff was ghastly when warm
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How many unions are there? Who keeps count of the numbers?

I suspect the TUC may have the information - although not all Unions are affilliated to them.

The general consensus seems to be there are about 6 million members largely but not exclusively found in The Public Sector and ex Public Sector enterprises.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

At least Blair's demise will not be so divisive.

 

[table38]

At least Blair's demise will not be so divisive.

What song could we download for Blair?

-- update --

A colleague suggests "Edwin Star - War - What is it good for"

 

[Butts]

At least Blair's demise will not be so divisive.

Agreed, his legacy will not be as tainted as "his mothers"

 

[Ferret]

At least Blair's demise will not be so divisive.

I still expect to see similarly unedifying scenes though, courtesy of Iraq/Afghanistan.

 

[Butts]

I still expect to see similarly unedifying scenes though, courtesy of Iraq/Afghanistan.

No I don't think so as he's likely to be about for another 30 years

 

[Mutant Lemming]

What song could we download for Blair?

-- update --

A colleague suggests "Edwin Star - War - What is it good for"

Sex Pistols : Who Killed Bambi ?

 

[Donny Dave]

How come there are only 6 million Union Members if this is true - have all the others opted out ?

I can only speculate that the proliferation of employment agencies means that those who work for them feel that they are ineligable to join a union. The other factor is that compared to the 70s and 80s, companies now have to jump through an awful lot of hoops before they can stab you in the back, which also makes people less inclined to join a union.

But as I say, that's just speculation.

 

[Oswyntail]

... Thankfully many Labour MPs have declined to attend thus rising their stock....

Or possibly made themselves seem petty minded and vindictive.

I'm still struggling with the concept that destroying thousands of peoples lives is "Honourable". ...

As I am sure you know (but others may not) the honourific "Right Honourable" simply denotes she served on the Privy Council

Before Thatcher almost all professions had a union. Now only a select few do - much to Cameron's chagrin I may add!

And your evidence for that is.....?

Maybe because as stated in another thread she wasn't interested and left us alone ....

But she was, and was worried, but your unions tried talking rather than confrontation. See which industry's workers were better represented by their unions!

..... And dont tell me metal-bashing industries are dead ... then you have never travelled through Switzerland , France or Italy!!

And that has much more to do with the base cause of the collapse of "metal bashing" in the UK, the cost of transporting and accessing raw materials

..to put bread on the family plate. Sorry but "Thatcher - Milk Snatcher !!!"...

Again, it is worth reminding people that that last witty soubriquet was about an element of education policy rather than an attempt to eliminate communities. IIRC, Harold Wilson's (Labour) government had withdrawn free milk from secondary schools. Then in 1970 the Treasury proposed complete withdrawal of the daily milk, but Thatcher opposed that, and fought for it to be retained in Primary and Nursery schools. She won her case for provision to under-8s. Admittedly this itself was withdrawn in 1980, but the whole myth that it was all down to her masks what was, as usual, much more complex.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

So you may consider moderating your claim about her being "The destroyer of the working class and working rights" ?

Why? she to all intents and purposes did, her and her party government have always been against the working class, and not much has changed in the Tory party attitude from 79 til 2013. I hold Maggie and her Tory party then and now in utter contempt and will til the Day I die. No one will be throwing parties for me or buying records in remembrance of their hatred for me (well I certainly hope not lol). Her legacy is what the working class have to deal with from the ConDems. The stereotyping, the grinding down. Luckily this time not much industry left to destroy, just a few people who Atos deam fit for work who genuinly can't but some things really never change when the Tory party is involved.

 

[jon0844]

I suspect the TUC may have the information - although not all Unions are affilliated to them.

The general consensus seems to be there are about 6 million members largely but not exclusively found in The Public Sector and ex Public Sector enterprises.

6.5 million according to Wikipedia, and a mention that the majority (so not all) unions are affiliated with the TUC.

In my old job, a lot of employees didn't want to join a union taking £200-odd per year, and I expect a lot of industries have employees that could be union members but choose not to be, for whatever reason.

 

[nedchester]

I'm still struggling with the concept that destroying thousands of peoples lives is "Honourable". I don't really care if some people thought the sun shined out of her *rse or some people feel she was the best PM in our history. She was the destroyer of the working class and working rights and I really hope that song reaches the Top 5 at least, It maybe capitalism but it will also show how many people hated her. I would say god have mercy on her soul, but to be honest I don't think she ever had a soul.

Hear! Hear!

 

[Ferret]

No I don't think so as he's likely to be about for another 30 years

Hmmm, doesn't Mr Blair have a heart condition? Not that I wish ill on him despite the damage he did to the Country in his time in power.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Hmmm, doesn't Mr Blair have a heart condition? Not that I wish ill on him despite the damage he did to the Country in his time in power.

Not as much much as Maggie though. I actually liked Blair most of the time and I agreed with the Iraq war. Brown however I couldn't stand. While Blair always looked Smug, Brown just looked..strange!