Thatcher has died

[NormanH]

I hated everything she stood for and did, but she was a major figure in UK politics in the 80s

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9978831/Margaret-Thatcher-dies-of-stroke-aged-87.html

May she lie in more peace than those whose lives were blighted by her policies have been allowed.

[just john]

[quote user="NormanH"]I hated everything she stood for and did, but she was a major figure in UK politics in the 80s
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9978831/Margaret-Thatcher-dies-of-stroke-aged-87.html

May she lie in more peace than those whose lives were blighted by her policies have been allowed.
[/quote]

I loved everything she stood for and did, but she was a major figure in saving UK politics in the 70's, Second only to Churchill perhaps

May she lie in more peace than those whose lives were blighted by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and their ilk.

[Gardener]

I won't mourn her passing and that is about as much as I can say on the subject without getting banned!

[idun]

Friends loved her and voted for Blair as they thought he was just the same only with trousers.

I remember another friend telling us off for escaping just as Thatcher started wielding her power and that we had missed those awful times.

Couldn't stand her. Apparently she died in peace, and yet there are so many poor souls who do not, how nature is sometimes so unfair.

I just hope that the tv stops droning on and on and on about her. I could have thankfully put my food through the tv by 20 past 1 and they had only announced this at 1 o'clock.

[halfblind]

Divisive in death as in life - wont miss her at all, and will certainly miss any state funeral.

[sid]

I was an admirer too, and voted for what she stood for.

We're unlikely to see such a strong-willed PM ever again I fear.

 

[Tancrède]

It might be an appropriate moment to remember those lines written

for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, by his court poet…

Venus was sculpted by man,

But the far more attractive woman, Margaret Thatcher,

Was sculpted by Allah.

My heart raced when I saw her face to face.

Her skin was smooth as ivory,

Her cheeks as rosy as an English rose,

And her eyes as lovely as a mare’s.

Her figure is more attractive than the figure

Of any cherished wife

Or coveted concubine.

[NickP]

I didn't agree with all of her policies or actions but, she certainly let the rest of the world know that she and the UK was around

[woolybanana]

A great, great Prime Minister who changed Britain. What a pity her legacy was squandered by Brown.

Perhaps we might declare a period of mourning.

[Rabbie]

The early years of Thatcher's premiership were good and she introduced some necessary reforms. A pity that the longer she stayed the less she listened to those around her and became the architect of her own downfall.  Like most successful politicians she was good at saying one thing and doing another especially in her policy towards the EU. Lots of rhetoric but went along with the flow when push came to shove.

As Enoch Powell said "Nearly all political careers end in tragedy" Hers was no exception.

[Gardian]

[quote user="Rabbie"]

The early years of Thatcher's premiership were good and she introduced some necessary reforms. A pity that the longer she stayed the less she listened to those around her and became the architect of her own downfall.  Like most successful politicians she was good at saying one thing and doing another especially in her policy towards the EU. Lots of rhetoric but went along with the flow when push came to shove.

As Enoch Powell said "Nearly all political careers end in tragedy" Hers was no exception.

[/quote]

Rabbie's comment encapsulates my view entirely.  I can't think of many politicians who so divided opinion as her.

When I try to judge the quality of leaders, I find myself asking whether there were one or two big things that they did that really made a difference.  In that, she gets a 'tick' from me, but she must equally have been pretty horrible to work for.

RIP anyway - she was clearly in a bad way just recently.

[Val_2]

When she was about I was not interested in politics,my love life and forthcoming marriage was more important back then.To be honest I thought she had died years back. My FIL, I remember used to moan about her but he was a socialist and union man.

[dave21478]

That's telly screwed for the next two weeks.

I have no opinion either way on her politics, but she had more backbone and bigger balls than the piss-weak clowns from both sides who have followed her.

[Mr Ceour de Lion II]

She certainly does split opinion. I know many people who can't wait to dance on her grave. Obviously they are from Liverpool.

I thought she was one of the best leaders of the 20th century. Her, Reagan, Gorby and Bob Hawke all had such strong presence, the like no world leader has had since.

It's funny how one of America's greatest presidents has recently been portrayed by an Englishman, and one of England's greatest PMs has recently been portrayed by an American.

[Quillan]

The biggest thing that came to my mind was her handwriting letters (no printed then signed) of condolences to every widow and family of every British servicemen and woman killed in the Falklands campaign and the fact she spelt every name right. Something no PM since has ever managed to do.

[Chrissie]

In the early 1980s I started travelling widely with my job and was surprised (as a rather unpolitical person) to hear from virtually every foreigner I met, from Norway to Papua New Guinea, how much they admired Margaret Thatcher, not necessarily for her policies but rather for her sheer determination to get things done, and get changes passed, and not take s*h*i*t from anyone.  Almost without exception they were fed up with the slowness of reform in their own countries and said "If only we had someone courageous and determined like that, think what we could do."  She certainly left her mark on the world, so I say good for her.

Chrissie (81)

 

[Christine Animal]

Apparently Mitterand said she had Staline's eyes and Marilyn Monroe's mouth.

 

RIP Madame Tatchère.

 

[Théière]

That Mitterand is one sick dude

[Christine Animal]

Was.

 

[Chiefluvvie]

I feel immensely privileged to have lived through her 'era' - amongst other things she did more for women than any other politician before or since.

As for the miners - I remember carrying plane loads of them off on holiday on thier 'strike' pay. The naff unions killed off their own - not Maggie.

May she rest in peace - and may her family be hugely proud.

Chiefluvvie

[nectarine]

A strong lady and a strong leader. Did so much to put the 'Great' back into Britain and then Blair and Brown just squandered it away. She wouldn't have sold our gold for a measly pittance, like Brown did.

It's funny that so many students are protesting, who weren't born until after she left office. Of course it's very fashionable to be hard-left, isn't it, when you're young and don't own anything or work and support yourself.

A good article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306092/Lest-forget-terrible-things-The-woman-saved-Britain--verdict-historians.html

[Théière]

[quote user="Chiefluvvie"]I feel immensely privileged to have lived through her 'era' - amongst other things she did more for women than any other politician before or since. As for the miners - I remember carrying plane loads of them off on holiday on thier 'strike' pay. The naff unions killed off their own - not Maggie. May she rest in peace - and may her family be hugely proud. Chiefluvvie[/quote]

I was never a member of NAFF but I doubt you came of your perch to actually speak to the people who patronised your plane. Do you object to union members going on holiday then?  Maybe they paid from savings as strike pay really wasn't much, maybe they just wanted a break from all that was going trying to maintain a more positive disposition.

If plane loads of them hadn't travelled maybe you could have been put out of work?

[DerekJ]

Apart from splitting public opinion I find my own opinion is quite divided but I think on balance I have a positive view of her.

I just look at the competition at the time and think would I have preferred the alternatives?... those in the frame I think were:

Callaghan, Foot, Kinnock, Steel, Owen, Ashdown.

 No, sorry, I can't believe any of them would have done a better job.

[Quillan]

Say what you will about Thatcher and regardless of if you think she was doing something right or wrong if she said she would do it then she did. She was a very patriotic PM and did look after our interests abroad and she did, in the worlds eye, put the Great back in to Britain.

I feel sorry for the union members at that time, especially the miners. They were done in not by Thatcher but Scargill who quite frankly was interested in only himself and just used them. Unfortunately he was not the man for the job, he lost and in doing so took them down with him. You can't run a country by winning an election then asking the unions in for a pint and a sandwich then ask them how to do it. She knew that, we knew that, in fact just about everyone knew that, You can't have unelected tails wag a dog.

Pol tax, a brilliant idea, problem was not thought through properly and badly implemented which is why it failed.

[Jay]

[quote user="Quillan"]

I feel sorry for the union members at that time, especially the miners. They were done in not by Thatcher but Scargill who quite frankly was interested in only himself and just used them. Unfortunately he was not the man for the job, he lost and in doing so took them down with him. You can't run a country by winning an election then asking the unions in for a pint and a sandwich then ask them how to do it. She knew that, we knew that, in fact just about everyone knew that, You can't have unelected tails wag a dog.

[/quote]

Obviously you didn't have most of your family working in the mines at that time!