Re: Uk in Recession.

Maggie set up the infrastructure for a fall by removing financial controls and freeing up the financial services markets. It also led to the disastrous housing boom which has led to hugely inflated house prices. These were irreversible changes.

The privatisation was all about devolving responsibility from state to the private sector which has proved to be a mistake in so many examples. Washing hands of the problem and making a mint. Win:win for short Termist political gain. Creating a typical Tory mess again irreversible unless you have money to burn.

Ultimately we are where we are now because of Thatcher. Labour didn't reverse what she put in motion, pretty much because it's in the "impossible to reverse" section. They just glossed over and worked around what was there already.

Re: Uk in Recession.

So what do you think would have happened if the 1979 election had resulted in a Labour government?

Re: Uk in Recession.

Always thought, if someone does you a disservice by accident or naivety (including Politicians) so be it, that's life. Its a different matter if a person is disadvantaged by deliberate policies, dressed up as something else.

Re: Uk in Recession.

Makes sense. However a ballance has to be established between communities and national necessity. That is what was on the table in 1979.

When communities were based on unviable industries there is no alternative. Sort it out.

Re: Uk in Recession.

The one that most affected the man in the street, directly was the great Share Sell Off debacle.

Re: Uk in Recession.

A lot of "men in the street" made quite a bit of money as a result of privatisation. Not only that but efficiency increased as did service provision.

Re: Uk in Recession.

A more feasible question is whether there should have been a different leader for the 1987 election. It was the 87 manifesto that unleashed the changes I've listed. It was around this time that the whole endownment mortgage scandal was fed to unwitting buyers. Along with right to buy etc. Much collusion between financial advisers and financial services companies ensued. A pandora's box was opened.

Re: Uk in Recession.

Do you mean efficiency and services provision in the railways or takeover by foreign entities of our power provision? It opened the door to international ownership of our infrastructure.

Anyway, I stand by what I said. Thatcher paved the way to where we are today with irreversible policies pushed through because of her strong personality.

Re: Uk in Recession.

A different leader would probably not have had the cojones to do what Thatcher did so without the actions that Thatcher undertook what do you think would have happened after the 1979 election?

Re: Uk in Recession.

Takes more than that to run a country successfully. It's around this time that she developed the mad glint in the eye. I am talking post '87 not post '79. So if we hadn't had the post '87 madness we would not have had a housing boom and a dearth of nationalised industries. We would have enjoyed steady growth as before. We didn't need to have a mad "loadsamoney" party creating fake growth from nothing pyramid nonsense.

She did ok in the first two terms. It was time to step down. After a lengthy tenure, it's always good to have change in government or at least a change in leader. Kinnock was not an opponent but I'm sure there were decent Tory contenders at the time.