The reason why thatcher came into power was because the labour government was in a mess and influential rock stars like Weller and Strummer were highly critical of labour and were threatening to vote Tory. In 83 it was over some piece of rock in the Atlantic, that the vast majority neither knew nor cared about, and still don't. In 87 she had the malignant backing of the Murdoch press and it's vitriolic rhetoric of Neil kinnock.

I'm starting to think he served in an armed force that got involved with a certain coup.

I would certainly explain the aggression.

.......ssssshh!

He can't tell you, he will be banned under recent government rulings, nudge, nudge.

It was actually Lamont (who gets my vote as the worst chancellor we ever had) who said "[iRising unemployment and the recession have been the price that we have had to pay to get inflation down. That price is well worth paying[/i".
But she probably thought so too... and I agree with the rest of your post.

Still time to add you name to the petition calling on the government to prive a full state funeral. See gorm near end of article: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l#comments

Still time to add you name to the petition calling on the government to prive a full state funeral. See gorm near end of article: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... l#comments

Absolutely correct in every respect, Labour were unelectable under Callaghan, Foot and Kinnock.

How is that a 'fact' when the reported figures were around 3 million? I think you need to take a look in a dictionary to establish the definition of the word 'fact'. The unemployment figures already stood at around 1.7 million when Thatcher took office so she didn't 'treble' the number and nor was she responsible for 3 million being unemployed.

The only person in this conversation getting at all worked up is you, cockle. I was merely pointing out the staggering inaccuracy of your comparison.

Incidentally, what kind of guy am I?

Correct. Although I still maintain that Blair would never have been elected without the work that Kinnock put in to sort out the party.

The mob, great! I've got an idea. Get the beer and sandwiches on Harold. Why don't you lot get yourselves together and form a union, then you can spout garbage all day long to each other.

I should also add that the Tories were unelectable under Hague, Smith and Howard even though their policies have not changed one jot since '97.

With a mellowing of the years I am coming to like Major though - heard him on a radio program over Easter speaking for an hour on one of his specialist subjects The Edwardian Music Hall featuring his father and step mother - a fascinating hour it was.

Being drunk before dark is not an endearing trait.

The reason why i asked knuckles is fairly simple, and really not offensive at all. I was genuinely interested in what it was like serving in the armed forces as a women or homosexual under Thatcher.

I dont know why they got upset about that, i cant be the first person to ask them about it. Its an interesting story.

So when Thatcher allows social housing to be sold off and not replaced, she's not to blame because subsequent governments failed to reverse the policy, but when she substantially increases the number of unemployed left by the previous government she's not responsible for that either? I get it now - she can't be expected to have reduced unemployment because of the mess left by the previous government, but subsequent Labour governments could of course have been expected to reverse the damage caused by her flawed policies. Makes perfect sense, that.

Personally, I had no hate left when Major took over.
My quota had all been used up with what had gone before.

Logic has never been that popular with right-leaning folk.

He deserves a great deal of credit for his approach to the Northern Ireland situation. Compare Thatcher's approach to that of Major – and ask if we're all not so much better off now.

With respect, IIRC, Saints Fan is also a bit – y'know – religious.

Weller's vote Conservative rhetoric was something I didn't really understand but I was 12 when Thatcher came into power. The following years politicised me, even though I didn't understand all that either and still don't claim to but I can see why Weller said it now

Actually, I'm not. I'm agnostic. But I am interested in religions and religious belief, among all sorts of other things that I am interested in.

Isn’t this always the case though, Labour get in, things go well for a while, then for whatever reason they blow it.

Back come the Tories, hard times return, yet the electorate are constantly reminded of when Labour blew it, until eventually normal Joe gets sick of the inequalities of conservative dogma, and so it goes on.

But I don’t think the likes of Paul Weller or Joe Strummer had a great influence in the result

.

Probably in about six years we might have the likes of Simon Cowell threatening to move abroad if Labour get back in – now that would give me an incentive to start voting again.

Can you imagine if all the channels stated that they would withdraw reality TV if Labour got back in?
HAPPY DAYS

I was refereeing during the strike and whenever I officiated at a Miners' club I would never accept either match fee or travel expenses. Three of us were at Fev for one National Cup game in January, on a bitter Saturday afternoon. The club secretary met us and tld us that some of the lads had been on the tip and scratted enough coal to fire the boilers so we could have hot showers. All the shops in the village donated extra grub to ensure there was some snap after the game (BARLA would fine clubs for not providing refreshments), at the end of that match I threw a tenner into their collection tin.

Song now at number 2 in iTunes chart

Who the f--k is Duke Dumont?

Is it Smokie with a follow up to 'Who The F--k Is Alice?'