RIP Margaret!

[Dronfieldbrewer]

There has been panic buying of bunting, paper plates and fireworks in the Barnsley Coal Fields

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKx3MUqzCcQ

Great actor, great speech

i agree 100%...

 

[daf]

 

[BIGJIM72]

Like her or loathe her you cannot deny the fact that there hasn't been a stronger leader since ( had John Smith got to be PM things may have been different) and we could certainly do with strength of leadership now.

But the choice is so limited.The left & right seem so hell bent on stealing each others ideals theres no difference any more. If there was a proper socialist Labour party then they would get my vote-but there's not,same as if the Tories were true conservatives. I tend to vote Green or Liberal (sorry,my bad).

To those that lived through the Thatcher years (especially in the north/Scotland/NI) I can understand the hatred. If the interest rates went up as much now as when my parents had a mortgage there would be anarchy. Mining,steel,manufacturing all ruined by the union busting.There are still so many cities,towns & communities that feel the ill effects of this woman. When I was living at home for my 18th I got a ridiculous poll tax bill from the local council. It may be a simplistic view but the poll tax won the 3rd term for her-especially when Labour MPs were condoning non payment.

I have no love for her-but if someone,anyone from any political party could emulate her sense of purpose & ability to lead (no matter how unpopular the decision) then they get my vote.

 

[PD]

Please don't let this thread become a party political rant. We hear enough of this on the so called News programs.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I'll not comment too much in the interests of forum harmony.....

She and her cronies caused a lot of hardship and bitter family feuds that continue to this day regarding the mines....
We were luckier than others during the strike because my mum had a job, loads more had it rough.... The Met police they drafted in on the picket lines were brutal, but they're not laughing now their jobs and perks are been thinned out.. :lol:

Nuff said..

Goldthorpe

 

she should not have A military funeral ...
she cost this country enough already ...
its a disgrace ... :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[Dave1970]

she should not have A military funeral ...
she cost this country enough already ...
its a disgrace ... :evil: :evil: :evil:

Totally agree, how can there be a 'celebration' of the life & achievements of someone who is loved/hated in equal measure. There is an assumption amongst fans of Thatcher that she is a great and there's no argument about this.
There's no precedent for this, yes Churchill got a state funeral but that reflects his wartime leadership not his political career. If Clement Atlee did not get a 'ceremonial' funeral for setting up the NHS and the Welfare State then why should Thatcher?

 

[Jeltz]

I was 8 during the winter of discontent but remember the strikes, power cuts and rubbish in the streets. The unions were flexing their muscles and calling the shots someone had to take back the power. Whoever that had been would be hated by many still as has been shown.

She came in to do a job, it wasn't a nice one but she did it with conviction. None of the leaders since have shown much in the way of leadership. I'm convinced that Blair knew that it was all going go to hell in a handcart which is why he handed over to Brown, they both ignored the warnings given by Mervin King and although she believed in a free market economy I don't think she would have stood by and watched the fraud that the banks perpetrated on the nation the way they did.

She's not having, and didn't want, a state funeral she did preside over the Falklands war which I presume is why its a military one, similarly I would expect that Tony Blair will have one for Iraq.

 

[Aleman]

Definite Marmite Personality.

I respect her for her ability to make decisions right or wrong and stick by them (I'm still not popular with my relatives in South Wales for that one). I do think the Unions needed their chain ******, hard! I remember the 70's with the 3 day week and the winter of discontent, along with the joke of British Leyland, and a lot of other manufacturers being on strike for all sorts of things. She stood up to Europe and got us our rebate . . . given away by spineless governments that followed. She also collaborated on the making of Mr Whippy Ice Cream!!

Her third term was a complete shambles due to the fact that she surrounded herself with 'Yes' men, and no one dared speak out against them or their policies.

If it hadn't been for the Falklands war then it would have been unlikely that she would have had more than one term in office, although look at the alternatives (Foot, Kinnock and Smith). I think Kinnoch and Smith would have been good PM's.

Does she deserve a ceremonial funeral . . . No, had she died in office then maybe, but now she is just another private citizen. She was also a really strong role model for a generation of girls/women, f the daughter of a grocer can make it to PM then they could achieve their dreams as well.

 

[marksa222]

St. Peter meets Margaret Thatcher at the Pearly Gates.
"It is said that you were a role model to millions of women on earth," he says. "So, tell me.How did you distinguish yourself?"
"Well," says Thatcher. "I took on Socialism and made it obsolete."
"Not good enough," says Peter. "What else?"
Thatcher says: " I won a war with Argentina."
"How do these things prove your worth as a human woman?" says Peter.
Thatcher says:"Well I was known as the Iron Lady"
"Ah! Ironing!" says Peter. "Come on in!"

 

[cutnrun]

*walks in*

I aint touching this one!!

*walkes out*

 

[Andyhull]

She most deffinately should have a millitary funeral.

She ruled through the falklands war and we won!!!
If it was one of the new "leaders" the falklands would no longer belong to the UK.
Her decission to sink the General Belgrano was one of the key factors in that war as the ship had gone outside the warzone to come back in to sink our carriers!!!!
We was at war with a country and IMO no matter where their "WAR" ship was it was a target.

She did "allot" wrong, we all know about that because it was the most publicised, but she did more right, once again IMO as the UK wouldn't be what it is today.

I can sympathise with the miners and the ship builders and the dockers, it affected my home town too, but the country was on it's knees and needed some one to drag it back up.

There was 2 enemys to the unions at that time Not just 1 !!!

I'll not go on any more other than to say (and this is comming from someone whose family and neighbourhood was drasticly affected by the union de-armament!!!!) she was a great lady and someones mother and wife so please all be respectfull.

R.I.P Iron Lady.

Andy

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes I remeber as a kid the power cuts the rubbish. I remember the activities of our family business being curtailed by power cuts having to light the shop and offices with tilley lamps in winter. The unions had a large part to play in the demise of british heavy industry, no one wanted to invest in industry that went out on strike at the drop of a hat. Though the way she went about changing it was very heavy handed and with hindsight the wrong thing to do.

Yes she did go too far and sold off far too many of our assets oil and gas in particular, but she did deliver a reformed economy which unfortunately the last administration benefited from and then squandered big time. Lets not forget Gordon Browns squandering of our gold reserves to the tune of a £4 Billion pound loss.

As for a Military funeral technically Britain and Argentina were never at war as Britain never declared war it was a 'conflict'. But as has been said if she didn't retake the Falklands then the Falkland Islands would be las Malvinas.

Whether you liked her or not then she still deserves respect.

However if it was Gordon Brown or Tony Blair that had died then my view may well have been different and I may have been down in London joining in the street parties, by now.

 

[Andyhull]

It Was Gordon Brown taxing the pensions that helped wreck the banks.
They used to dip into the pension funds in times of hardship!

We didn't declare war on the Argies but surely by entering a countries land by force is an act of war!
Althogh it was a conflict you are correct

I read a book once (i have read many) and it was about diamond miners, in the book they need a ship building.
The contract went to the british but was eventually taken away because of the constant striking of the workforce, the story was set around the 60's

This was a fictional book but the none British writer obviousely knew of the UK unions frivelouse nature of striking over the temprature of their tea! :lol:

They were out of controll and needed knocking down a peg or 2 alas not the murdering they got.
But if your willing to have a fight you've got to be willing to lose not just win, and how do you beat a govenment with such a strong leader like She was.

We could do with her in power again, maybe with a little more self controll this time

 

[graysalchemy]

We could do with her in power again, maybe with a little more self controll this time

She may yet come back to haunt us or be reincarnated :lol: :lol:

 

[Brewbob]

"Lets privatise her funeral, put it out to competetive tender and accept the cheapest bid. Its what she would have wanted" Ken Loach.

Then you can all buy shares in her funeral if you want

 

[Andyhull]

Where else was she suposed to get the funds from to bail the country out of the financial S**t it was in from the previouse govenment?

Im not saying it's right but at the time it was that or borrow and be paying for it for generations to come!!

I sdon't understand why we,The Uk, can't start building the energy structure back up again, neuclear power stations Etc.

It is the cleanest and most cost effective for of power generation that the world has.
The building of them would creat jobs boosting the economy and suply cheaper energy for the UK rather than us paying over the odds for foreighn energy produced right here in the UK.

Sorry slightly off topic there but kinda relevent.

Andy

 

[Baz Chaz]

.....Whether you liked her or not then she still deserves respect.

Totally correct, many of those 'dancing in the streets' and cheering her passing were not even born when she was PM :!:

I also remember the problems back in the 60's and 70's when the unions were calling strikes at the drop of a hat, 3 day weeks, power cuts etc if you think things are bad now :nono:

Would any one of the countries leaders since she left Downing Street, stand up as she did when the Falklands were invaded, I don't think so :!:

 

[calumscott]

Just popping in to say I'm very impressed by the conduct of this thread. :thumb: Nothing wrong with debate and opinions so long as they are just that, discussions of actions and events conducted in an orderly and respectful manner. :hat: to you lot.

And if anyone wants an awesome example of how it's done properly, use the BBC's iPlayer to listen to today's today programme around 08:30. Ken Clarke and Ken Livingstone discussing the mythology of Mrs T. An absolute joy to hear, made my morning. Such respect for her as an individual, for each other and for the presenters all the while eloquently arguing firmly held beliefs on matters of policy.

IMO we shouldn't be debating too heavily on the legacy of Mrs Thatcher but rather lamenting the loss of the style, nay CLASS, of politicians of that era as demonstrated by those two today. The lack of respect from the public towards politicians I'm afraid stems from the lack of respect the politicians show to each other in the media and indeed the House.

Bring back the States(wo)men I say!