This weekend I found myself swearing. This is not uncommon for me, especially since I have been a Boro supporter for over 50 years. However, on this occasion, I was losing the plot on hearing the Labour leader praise the first female Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher.
How is it possible for someone to be a Labour member/politician/socialist and to praise the Conservative PM from 1979 to 1990?
Apparently his praise was because he believed she made meaningful changes whilst PM.
Meaningful changes?
Here are some of Thatcher’s actions:
- She attacked The LGBTQ community
- She attacked the unions that kept the workers protected from unscrupulous bosses.
- She came into power and went on a selling spree that I would class as asset-stripping for the benefit of the wealthy.
Privatising timeline under Thatcher
- 1979 British Petroleum, government council housing
- 1981 British Aerospace, Cable & Wireless, British Sugar Corporation
- 1982 Britoil, National Freight Corporation, Amersham International (radioactive materials)
- 1983 Associated British Ports (seaports), British Shipbuilders, British Transport Hotels
- 1984 British Telecom, Jaguar, Enterprise Oil, Sealink Ferries
- 1986 British Gas, National Bus Company
- 1987 British Airways, British Airports Authority, Rolls Royce, Rover (trucks), Royal Ordnance (military products), Royal Dockyards
- 1988 British Steel, Rover (automobiles), National Express (intercity busing)
- 1989 The 10 regional water agencies, Short Brothers (aircraft)
- 1990 National grid and the 12 regional electricity distribution
Thatcher’s legacy
Future governments followed her lead and carried on selling off our country’s assets.
Thatcher paved the way for private companies being able to do as they like in the name of profit over service and pay dividends to shareholders rather than invest in infrastructure improvements.
We are really reaping the benefits of her actions, don’t you think?
Thatcher’s actions destroyed whole communities in Wales, The Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East.
My daughter mentioned her and I told her never to say her name in my presence ever again, so Starmer praising her makes me beyond furious.
I possibly have a blind spot with regard to Thatcher, but I make no apologies for detesting her and everything she stood for.
