General Chat

Numpty indeed Gins! Huh! I meant that so many people are angry and bitter about events connected to Mrs Thatcher that I'm glad I'm not politically minded...... I don't 'do' bitter and rarely get angry :-D

Errol ......

I must also say that I congratulate you on keeping this thread mainly trouble free.



It is quite true ........

........ the party in power does not lose power just because the PM changes ...........................

The Brits elect the PARTY not the PM plus members.

The PM is just the Leader of the Party in power.


It is the system in all Commonwealth countries, I believe .... certianly it is in Canada, Australia, NZ, etc.

Unlike the US where the President is elected separately from his Party members.



Margaret Thatcher took over from Heath when he was ousted as Leader of the Tory Party, then in opposition

The Tories then won the next Election, and she became Prime Minister for the next 13 years, winning the next 2 elections, until she was ousted as Leader of the Tory Party in 1990.


John Major took over as Leader of the Tories, and thus PM, in 1990, and served until 1997, when the Labour Party led by Tony Blair defeated the Tories.

Tony Blair was Leader of the Labour Party, and PM, until 2007, when he was replaced by Gordon Brown, who was PM until 2010.

The Conservative Party, and the Lib-Dems then took over

Errol is correct and Neil Kinnock was leader of the labour party until the 92 election

Roy

......................


but, boy, you do not want to see Cyn when she gets angry :-D :-D :-D :-D

Thank you Sylvia

Double 'Humph' to Sylvia...... :-D

:-P to Cyn

:-D :-D :-D

Errol


but it is true ................ I meant to say something last night.


Far too often, threads on GR that could be interesting degenerate into something else entirely.

and you have managed to keep this one on track.

yes errol it was Major,,,,,,why GB I dont know,,,,,,,, :-D :-D :-D :-D,,,,,,,

I dread to think what would have happened to this country had Margaret Thatcher not been leader of the conservatives at that time.

Income Tax at 33 and a third% the next tax bracket was 75% Most of which was subsidising nationalised industry,

every visit to the shops the price of everything was higher than yesterday with inflation at over 20%

If you where lucky and could afford a holiday abroad their wasn't much point going because of the £50 cap on money you could take out of the country,

And thats the good bits

Roy

next week this will be old news and something new will become news to hit our headlines,then a whole new debate will begin......... :-D.


like they are stopping the more expensive cancer treatments because we cant afford them, :-(

Roy, If she had not decided to oust Ted Heath, he would have remained leader of Tories and would almost automatically have been swept in on a large majority in 1979.

What people forget is that he was pretty ruthlessly steering the ship through the period of 3 day weeks and was tackling the problems of loss-making heavy industry. He was just as tough a cookie as her, but had a more consensual approach.

I do not believe he would have allowed the get rich quick mentality that Mrs T thought was success. Yes, it was nice to have houses worth ten times what we were earning - but what good has it done. You can only sleep in one bed each night and have one roof over your head - why want more?

in some ways I am inclined to agree - who needs more than one house etc?

caught some of the speeches on the news

thank god for glenda jackson at least she had the guts to turn up and speak her mind

John, Ted Heath was a very weak leader, Gave in to the unions expanded the welfare state then had to introduce cuts because his policies where not affordable and although the media made a meal of Thatcher under Heath when they nicknamed her "Thatcher the Milk Snatcher" yet 3 years before Labour did the same and withdrew free school milk from secondary schools without protest


3 day week was due to industrial action by the coal miners As I said he was weak


Roy

Mrs T was autocratic. That does not build good teams round you. There was an array of talent working WITH Ted Heath. There was an array of yes men and like-minded working FOR Mrs T.

Who were the people who stayed with her style of domination - Major, Tebbitt, Whitelaw. Who did she alienate? Heseltine, Clarke, Lawson.

You forgot Howe with his dagger

Roy

Wrote to Geoffrey Howe many years ago about family history. A thoroughly nice man, steeped in Welshness and yes- I forgot him, Roy :-(

Heseltine also has a Welsh pedigree. Say no more ;-)

SHE HASNT BEEN IN POWER FOR 23 YEARS , FOR 13 OF THOSE YEAR LABOUR WERE IN POWER, THEY NEVER REPEALED ANY OF HER GOVERMENT LAWS.

WHEN SHE WON HER SECOND TERM IN OFFICE WITH A MAJORITY OF A 144 SEATS, SHE COULD ONLY HAVE DONE THIS WITH THE SOCIALIST VOTING FOR HER

no need to shout Robert :-D :-D :-D