Current Affairs The worst post-war Prime Minister

[SteveSC]

No, I wasn't trying to be funny, I was being serious. But keep calm, getting het up in the current climate is not good for you.

Perfectly calm friend.

 

[peteblue]

Fair enough, seems her transport secretary, Parkinson, agitated for it but nothing really happened till Major.
Mea culpa.

Maggie gets the blame for lots of things and the credit for none. Heseltine got all the credit for helping Liverpool, yet no one acknowledges that it was Thatcher who initially sent Heseltine to Liverpool and formally appointed him as Minister for Merseyside......

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Genuinely curious whether you think all of the mines should have been kept open (ie carrying on as they were in the 70s), whether they should have been kept open and reformed, or whether they should have been shut but the closures handled differently?

Not especially to be fair, but there was absolutely no contingency plans in place. No phased transition. The mining used to be the pride of many towns and even now they have nothing. Visit ashington in Northumberland. reminders of their mining heritage everywhere but no one seems to care about them now. (Successive labour governments as well mind) These are the brexit heart lands. Destroyed by the Tories then forgotten about by labour.

 

[Kurt.]

In 1979 the Conservatives won with a majority of over 40 seats. In 1983 Thatcher had improved things so much that Conservatives won the 1983 election with 143 seat majority. They are facts by the way. I would be interested in knowing why you think Labour lost those two elections considering you think it is only my opinion? Of course I've changed my statement, its a different post. I haven't changed the principle.

It is fact they won the election in both 79 and 83. It’s your opinion that things had improved so much in the years between them both. Not saying your opinion is wrong either but it’s not a historical fact in the true sense of the word.

 

[roydo]

It is fact they won the election in both 79 and 83. It’s your opinion that things had improved so much in the years between them both. Not saying your opinion is wrong either but it’s not a historical fact in the true sense of the word.

Of course it isnt a historical fact that things had improved; for some it may have done, others less so. Factor in the state of the Labour Party at the time, again, opinion not fact, but its a reasonable conclusion that enough folk felt more comfortable with another Thatcher government than the alternative.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Not especially to be fair, but there was absolutely no contingency plans in place. No phased transition. The mining used to be the pride of many towns and even now they have nothing. Visit ashington in Northumberland. reminders of their mining heritage everywhere but no one seems to care about them now. (Successive labour governments as well mind) These are the brexit heart lands. Destroyed by the Tories then forgotten about by labour.

It (that is helping communities adapt to change) seems something that governments struggle with even now. A central issue with regards to immigration is that councils are not able to respond to changes to their population. It's kinda worrying given the general pace of change these days.

 

[Kurt.]

Of course it isnt a historical fact that things had improved; for some it may have done, others less so. Factor in the state of the Labour Party at the time, again, opinion not fact, but its a reasonable conclusion that enough folk felt more comfortable with another Thatcher government than the alternative.

I wasn’t disagreeing with the poster.. merely pointing out..as have you ..that it was not a fact in the true sense of the word.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

It (that is helping communities adapt to change) seems something that governments struggle with even now. A central issue with regards to immigration is that councils are not able to respond to changes to their population. It's kinda worrying given the general pace of change these days.

Yeah agreed. Many of these towns stil have labour dominated councils.
I read an interesting article recently about towns still trying to reignite the idea of shoppping on the high street as though it was a natural way of life when there should be acceptance that shopping habits have changed and these empty premises should be converted into perhaps, affordable housing or community spaces. No one seems brave enough to make these decisions though

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Yeah agreed. Many of these towns stil have labour dominated councils.
I read an interesting article recently about towns still trying to reignite the idea of shoppping on the high street as though it was a natural way of life when there should be acceptance that shopping habits have changed and these empty premises should be converted into perhaps, affordable housing or community spaces. No one seems brave enough to make these decisions though

As chance would have it, there's a nice piece in this week's Economist about a manufacturing training centre on the old Orgreave site - https://www.economist.com/business/2018/07/14/a-welcome-upgrade-to-apprenticeships

 

[Azzurri]

Of the alive ones Cameron, of the dead ones Thatcher.

 

[Methuselah]

It is fact they won the election in both 79 and 83. It’s your opinion that things had improved so much in the years between them both. Not saying your opinion is wrong either but it’s not a historical fact in the true sense of the word.

What is a fact is that enough voters thought so that the Conservative vote increased by 100 seats.

 

[Kurt.]

What is a fact is that enough voters thought so that the Conservative vote increased by 100 seats.

No... you’re assuming they though that. I’m not disagreeing with your argument you just don’t seem to grasp the difference between a fact and an opinion.

 

[roydo]

What is a fact is that enough voters thought so that the Conservative vote increased by 100 seats.

I have no idea if you were alive, a voter, or even in the UK back then, but I was. Folk dont necessarily vote for any party cos the previous few years have been good to them. The alternative to Thatcher at the time, for many, was simply unelectable. In my opinion.

Falklands War was also a massive factor in that election as well. Seeing British servicemen being burnt alive on a ship was hardly condusive to things getting better.

 

[Methuselah]

I have no idea if you were alive, a voter, or even in the UK back then, but I was. Folk dont necessarily vote for any party cos the previous few years have been good to them. The alternative to Thatcher at the time, for many, was simply unelectable. In my opinion.

Falklands War was also a massive factor in that election as well. Seeing British servicemen being burnt alive on a ship was hardly condusive to things getting better.

In 1983 I was 47. Like many of those who increased the Conservative majority, I remembered the drastic years of the the Labour government in the 70's. The economy got better, couldn't have got worse. Your comment on the Falklands war and servicemen being burnt alive does not do you credit.

 

[Methuselah]

No... you’re assuming they though that. I’m not disagreeing with your argument you just don’t seem to grasp the difference between a fact and an opinion.

100 seats is a big shift, that is a fact. Don't know what more to say. Labour were unelectable.