After she lost her seat in 1979 she was a political irrelevance. Yes she and a few disgruntled others gave up trying to reform the Labour party and for 2 years the SDP had some success.

However by 1983 it and her were all over.

You say the right loath her as though she was a threat she wasn't. She was just another in a long line of politicians from all parties who never fulfilled their potential. I suspect that on a personal level she was a nice lady as other have indicated but we are discussing her impact as a politician.

She tried to position herself as the middle ground and failed. Margaret Thatcher told the electorate I am the middle ground you must move towards me and they did.

Thatcher's reforms are still alive and well even after 13 years of Labour rule.

Edited by Badger11 (14 Apr 2021 8.22am)

One more point

There was as much to admire in Thatcher as there was to loath. She was a conviction politician with drive. I would anticipate that both her and Williams respected each other, even if they disagreed over policy. Ultimately though Thatcher's vision of where she saw our future was as flawed as that of the current Tory leadership. Her biggest achievement in my estimation was reducing Union power to become largely an irrelevance but in other ways her vision was backwards rather than forwards.

Brexit was not voted in fairly at all. It ought never have been put to a vote. Such things are decided by our elected representatives who we appoint to study and decide. The referendum was always only an excuse to protect the Tory party from being split up by UKIP. No serious politician really expected it to result in us leaving the EU they knew it would be a mistake.

It's over, but it's not finished. One battle has been lost but there are many more ahead.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Frankly, I don't think it matters if ideas come from left, right or centre. What matters is that they are sensible.
The comprehensive system was totally flawed. Socialist/Liberal policy, which has actually been guided by elitist interests, has ruined this country.

Idealists are naive.

You maybe correct on this my guess is that at some point there will be a major fracture within the EU and they will finally concede for the need for a 2 track EU with the outer group allowed greater flexibility which depending on what that means could see us rejoin.

One more point

I guess the Guardian doesn't report all the rows going on in the EU over vaccine roll out, EU budget and taxation powers, human rights in Poland and Hungary and anti EU feeling in France and Sweden.

I didn't mean it would happen anytime soon just speculating on what might happen.

As for the UK I think most people assume that at some point in the future Ireland will reunite in some shape of form this has been on the cards for decades.

As for Scotland who knows part me just thinks "oh get on with it".

One more point

The comprehensive system is perfectly practical and overall produces a better result for more people than the older one. There is no reason whatsoever that a gifted child cannot be challenged and encouraged to achieve their full potential in this system. It just demands efficient management and appropriate investment. It's these which have been missing. Underfunding is the problem. Not the system itself.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.