This is a very good assessment. The 'power of the unions' needed to be reduced though, rather than broken. A consequence of the destruction of union power was a lack of representation and increasingly poor pay deals for workers, ending up with a situaton that benefits are more viable than unskilled manual labour.

Mining was a doomed industry - but wiping what was left of it out, in the space of a few year, devistated whole ecconomies and forced a generation onto long term dole (a problem we still have now). Mining needed to be phased out, with new industry being promoted in those areas.

The 'savings made' in selling off council housing created a necessity of large scale housing benefits and removed the capacity of authority to place a real control on rent prices. Its served to transfer large sums of benefit straight into landlords pockets.

Large scale industry in the UK died an accellerated death during the 80s, and the failure of government to provide an alternative is still seen in the pocketed high unemployment areas of the UK.

The short term benefits were outweighed by a failure to plan for the consequences of the movefrom an industrial to post-Industrial society. Radical ecconomic reforms required radical social reforms to prevent a situation that has become 'Broken Britain'.

Thats not just her fault, the seeds were sown in the 70s but the catalyst was the 80s, and subsiquent governments (Tory and Labour) have failed to seek a real solution. The promotion of the idea of 'why should i pay for x' really found its germintion during the boom of the 80s, as individualism and self interest of consumerism replaced the notions of class and group identifcation.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

Yet again a source / link of absolutely no value whatsoever...

As far as the rules go, it's a website not a democracy - Hambo 3/6/2014

The low intensity civil war waged under Thatcher seems to have been hiding twitching behind the curtains only to erupt at her death. For twenty three years the Tories sought to get away from her -no nasty party now. But with her awaiting burial, Cameron has come out as the vestal virgin-in-chief to mourn this loss. Must be the much awaited plan B people have been talking about.
And of the funeral arrangements: our beloved leader will have clear skies and empty streets as a sign of the people's affection. Tommies from a bygone conflict will line the streets as a cortege rumbles by in silence.

Lists are being drawn up as we speak of those who have a record of vehement opposition to her ways. Some will be arrested as a preventative measure. Internet forums are being surveilled for key signs.

The proposed minute's silence for her demise planned for Reading versus Liverpool has been scrapped. Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Families said "To have a minute's silence for her at any football ground would be an insult to fans"

Would the pro-Thatcher acolytes on here like to propose the same silence reign during our next home match? And if they would, can they send a petition to the board?

And lefties like me gravitate towards the Guardian and Liberal Conspiracy. I am happy to admit I (and they) have a political opinion and of course my views are partly a product of that. To quote from any of these sources without accepting their agenda seems to me misguided at best.

The link I posted was merely intended to add to the debate, not be the end of it. I said it was "interesting" that's all. It's evidence of Thatcher's continuing tendency towards division that its mere presence appears to stimulate such scorn from those on the other side of the political divide.

"You can feel the stadium jumping. The stadium is actually physically moving up and down"
FA Cup MOTD 24/4/16

I think you have to draw the line in the sand between what is opinion, and ubelieveble made up socialist bullsh1t.

Fair enough ?

"It's not the bullet that's got my name on it that concerns me; it's all them other ones flyin' around marked 'To Whom It May Concern.'"

Not really danny. It's all just opinion when it comes down to it and its value or lack of it is purely subjective.

No-one has the monopoly on truth mate, not me or you or anyone else. We all create our own "truth" in any case and just because someone else doesn't agree with it, doesn't make it any less true to the person who holds that view.

And anyone who disagrees with that is a f*cking idiot.

Mods - my last remark was intended as a joke

"You can feel the stadium jumping. The stadium is actually physically moving up and down"
FA Cup MOTD 24/4/16