LADY Thatcher war service.

[stubexpc@yahoo.co.uk]

Minor article from the SUN>

"Lady Thatcher launched a coin set yesterday (31/5/07) to mark 25 years since HER Falklands war victory."

Wonder if she is in battledress and carrying ?:unsure:

[jungle1810]

Hello Stubex,
You have me wondering now in view of Maggies age. What is she carrying a set of new born babies uncirculated coins 2007, or just carrying?
Regards Don

[stubexpc@yahoo.co.uk]

DON.
Old police jargon ?
Carrying a firearm.
Go on,tell me,you are having me on,aren't you ?

[jungle1810]

Hello Stubex,
I am joshing?
Regards Don

[Glen]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/6706851.stm

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Love her or hate her- she was the best thing to happen to this country in post war Britain. Please feel free to disagree but please no mention of the POLL TAX. Since I have been in civvi street the only argument I have ever heard against the woman was indeed the P/T.
I,m not one for this Cloning milarkee but I would make an exception in her case. God bless her.

[bennyball2]

Seems People forget she closed the pits, started privitisation in the NHS, Interst rates 15%, good job I dont think so. Oh yes and the Poll Tax, and a war to keep her in power?

[stubexpc@yahoo.co.uk]

Hear Hear Benny.

[Paul Hinge]

Before she even became leader of the Torys as Secretary of State for Education she STOPPED SCHOOL MILK. Something that took another decade to rectify here in Wales.
Thatcherite policies are still being utilised today in this New Labour Government. We have just read in this weekends papers that Blair in his first six months of Government never once consulted his cabinet on any policy implimentation and that's how it continued for a decade or more. Will this change? perhaps not until we get a hung Parliament at Westminster then we may see a different type of politics.a politics that does what the electorate wants not what those in the Westminster village think we should have!


Hingey

[stubexpc@yahoo.co.uk]

I'm all for having a HUNG parliament Paul(Can I get shot for that ?)

[taffylooneytoon]

She also could have stopped the Falklands conflicked in the first place , buy sending HMS indurance too south Georgia when them Argi whalers took over it .
By not doing somthing then it gave the Argis the red light to invade the falklands.
They say she planned it so she would get another term of office , she was right.
She also protected a dictator from chile who killed loads of his own people, if she was in power now we would be at war with IRAN, NORTH KOREA, fighting along side the Yanks, there is a plus side though is RWF AND THE RRW would be part of the prince of wales division. Val.

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Seems People forget she closed the pits, started privitisation in the NHS, Interst rates 15%, good job I dont think so. Oh yes and the Poll Tax, and a war to keep her in power?

True the pits did close while she was in power - THEY ARE STILL CLOSED
Remind us when the NHS became PRIVATIZED
Interest did hit 15% for ONE day.
The POLL TAX - of course- what we have now is much fairer - I dont think so.
Wars have been happening since the dawn of time and will continue to do so as long as there is greed in the world. Thatcher, Blair, Brown only the names change, the aim (to stay in power) remains.
We lost the milk the schools (HINGYS POST) true! UNFORGIVABLE. Now we have teachers being asked to search for knives and guns in the playgrounds. Should have weaned the kids off gradually perhaps instead of cold turkey.

[Gwyn Nicholas]

She also could have stopped the Falklands conflicked in the first place , buy sending HMS indurance too south Georgia when them Argi whalers took over it .
By not doing somthing then it gave the Argis the red light to invade the falklands.
They say she planned it so she would get another term of office , she was right.
She also protected a dictator from chile who killed loads of his own people, if she was in power now we would be at war with IRAN, NORTH KOREA, fighting along side the Yanks, there is a plus side though is RWF AND THE RRW would be part of the prince of wales division. Val.

Stopping the conflict before it started - Pure speculation- Argentina never expected Britain to go the distance to sort them out of a couple of little islands they were WRONG.
Who says "she planned it" The Labour party?
This country (and other western countries) have protected, aided and financed many dictators for many years. Idi Amin was trained in Sandhurst was he not?
Would we be fighting alongside the yanks with Thatcher now? If we were, I put it to you that we would be the puppeteer pulling the strings and not the other way around.

[Paul Hinge]

I think we're losing the thread here.
It's all about what Thatcher did and should she be remebered for!
Gwyn is correct in saying that politicians are there for power and indeed power corupts. To venerate Margret Thatcher as some savoiur of Britain is going a little too far she like Blair had stumbled from one face saving crisis to the next. On the plus side for those of us who were serving in the 70's she did make a huge effort to bring Armed Forces pay into line with some of the civvy jobs as our married corporals and lance corporals with children were drawing down more in benefits weekly than we were being paid. If my memory serves me correctly we had a 2 stage pay increase that amounted to a 38% increase in salary. No more than was deserved. However, she really made the working man pay for his desire for fair play by crippling us with unfair taxation, going to war when early action might have saved those men dying in the Falklands and ensuring that we all knew she was incharge.so don't mix it with Maggie.
I think her legacy is enough in history without venerating her as some super-woman.something she was not!

Hingey

[Gwyn Nicholas]

I think we're losing the thread here.
It's all about what Thatcher did and should she be remebered for!
Gwyn is correct in saying that politicians are there for power and indeed power corupts. To venerate Margret Thatcher as some savoiur of Britain is going a little too far she like Blair had stumbled from one face saving crisis to the next. On the plus side for those of us who were serving in the 70's she did make a huge effort to bring Armed Forces pay into line with some of the civvy jobs as our married corporals and lance corporals with children were drawing down more in benefits weekly than we were being paid. If my memory serves me correctly we had a 2 stage pay increase that amounted to a 38% increase in salary. No more than was deserved. However, she really made the working man pay for his desire for fair play by crippling us with unfair taxation, going to war when early action might have saved those men dying in the Falklands and ensuring that we all knew she was incharge.so don't mix it with Maggie.
I think her legacy is enough in history without venerating her as some super-woman.something she was not!

Hingey

I wondered when somone would actually bring up the point of Forces pay increases which as Hingy says were huge in comparison to previous Governments. Hands up if you DID NOT vote for Thatcher as a serving soldier, and once again if you were NOT Grateful for the money. Hingy she is not a super woman and she did make mistakes. (Hindsight is a wonderful thing.) As a point of interest who then would be your (ALL) choice for best PM post war?

[John Turner]

As a point of interest who then would be your (ALL) choice for best PM post war?

Dennis Healey or Norman Tebbit - different parties I know.

[Keith Jones 989]

Originally Posted by Gwyn Nicholas
As a point of interest who then would be your (ALL) choice for best PM post war?

Enoch Powell - the only truly honest politician there ever was!

[stubexpc@yahoo.co.uk]

Here Here 89.
Knew what WE wanted,NOT the government.
Knew when things were wrong,but no one listened.

Famous Quotation I recall,which really ended his career.

KEEP THEM OUT>

Enough said ?

[Paul Hinge]

If I were to be honest my post-war PM would be Paddy Ashdown. But there is a bias here because I worked for him. There are a number of very capable politicians who would make very good PM's as it stands now. However, once those bumbling idiots (the permanent civil service) get their hands on them they go native and listen to the 'Sir Humphrey's of this world, the unelected, unaccountable civil service that in reality runs this country!

Hingey

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Interesting choices and I wouldn't disagree with any of them however, I actually meant who was the best, in your opinion, who actually made PM. Purely as a comparison exercise. I dont know if you watched Andrew Mars (i think thats his name) last evening ,he is covering Britains recent history at the moment, and finished off with Heath and the Lightning strikes of the early Seventies. Next week picks up where the "iron" lady moves in to sort out the Unions. I think you will find it interesting especially the members who were a little young to remember. Hingy and me were wet behind the ears ourselves.

[Paul Hinge]

More than wet behind the year's then Gwyn!
A great deal wet on the inside on many occassions Eh!
Just as a point of interest going back to the pay rise. I was in the Depot Crickhowell as a Training NCO at the time and when that back pay and wage increase came into the account I thought my ship had come in. Until the reality of having to pay more for my quarters and other stoppages hit home.

Hingey

[Paul Hinge]

Taped Andrew Marr's programme last night going to watch it later on this evening will let you know what I think. He is a brilliant journalist though and a decent human being.

Hingey

[ap1]

I actually meant who was the best, in your opinion, who actually made PM. Purely as a comparison exercise.

Clement Atlee. Deputy PM during WW2. He then won the 45 election with a landslide victory against Churchill. He then instigated reforms intended to improve the lot of all the population, including the formation of the NHS and the nationalisation of the coal industry.

Montgomery was Chief of the Imperial Staff at the time, and even he was impressed by him.

[John Turner]

Let's not forget one of the biggest factors that gave us that pay rise in the 70's - embarrassment.

There we were doing the job of striking firemen and getting paid a fraction of what they did. Our own CO was on the front page of the Mail 'Colonel Fury' they called him, for the way in which he brought that point home.

As for Maggie - who knows - she was a politician FFS!

[bennyball2]

True the pits did close while she was in power - THEY ARE STILL CLOSED
Remind us when the NHS became PRIVATIZED
Interest did hit 15% for ONE day.
The POLL TAX - of course- what we have now is much fairer - I dont think so.
Wars have been happening since the dawn of time and will continue to do so as long as there is greed in the world. Thatcher, Blair, Brown only the names change, the aim (to stay in power) remains.
We lost the milk the schools (HINGYS POST) true! UNFORGIVABLE. Now we have teachers being asked to search for knives and guns in the playgrounds. Should have weaned the kids off gradually perhaps instead of cold turkey.

Pits still closed (dont get the point?), pits are re-opening as there is still vasts amount of coal available so I think we had a bit of an untruth from Maggie. Take Tower as a prime example! She would have been better off saying, I will take the view of the minors that they will never let their child go down the pit, sounds a bit more caring than YOU LOT HAVE HAD IT FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN THE 70's (my on quote) but that is the real reason.

NHS Privatized, MARKET TESTING OF SERVICES THAT WAS STARTED BY THATCHER THEN TAKING ON BY HER PUPPETT MAJOR.

POLL TAX, Changed from this unpopular tax to Council tax by the Conservatives?

We lost the milk - as your post says their being asked, not the attitude stuff you this will happen attitude from Thatcher

[BennytheBall]

I'm wondering when the next debate or the next episode of "Question Time is going to be on the Forum?
An old saying was always said in the mess, you never discuss Religion, Politics and Tactics in the mess.
BTB

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Pits still closed (dont get the point?), pits are re-opening as there is still vasts amount of coal available so I think we had a bit of an untruth from Maggie. Take Tower as a prime example! She would have been better off saying, I will take the view of the minors that they will never let their child go down the pit, sounds a bit more caring than YOU LOT HAVE HAD IT FOR WHAT YOU DID TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN THE 70's (my on quote) but that is the real reason.

NHS Privatized, MARKET TESTING OF SERVICES THAT WAS STARTED BY THATCHER THEN TAKING ON BY HER PUPPETT MAJOR.

POLL TAX, Changed from this unpopular tax to Council tax by the Conservatives?

We lost the milk - as your post says their being asked, not the attitude stuff you this will happen attitude from Thatcher

You are of course right some mines are being reopened and I hope it continues as I come from a mining village and have family who are/were miners. After the agreements of the G8 summit will it continue?
The NHS is still NOT privatized.
Council tax has to exist in some form, which was fairer - The Poll tax or the current tax?
The point I tried to make about the milk is: it was a bad thing but kids were not taking knives and guns to school when we had a police force that were allowed to do their job and had the support they deserved.
Anyway only my opinions to which we are all entitled thanks for your points, sorry if this has been a hijack of the original thread it was never intended to be as such. Perhaps if Neil Kinnock had been PM.only joking lads. Cheers Nick

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Ian I always thought you were up for a bit of banter and a bit of rocking the boat. You must be getting old m8 LOL. Anyway I have been demoted for lack of participation on the forum so I've made the effort. (probably a few enemies too) PS You are still the best Goat we ever had .

[BennytheBall]

Gynn NickI still Love you to death
BTB

[Paul Hinge]

Every other civilised country (and I say that with tounge in cheek) taxes its population on a basis of their ability to pay that is to say, the more you spend the more you contribute in tax.
Remeber I said civilised, well as an example both the USA and let's say Germany operate a local tax system that is collected at the tills here in the UK successive politicians have stayed clear of this way of collecting monies because its far to simple and as a consequence they've listend once again to the Whitehall Mandarins who just don't what the hastle of changing the system for a fairer one.
Didn't realise Gwyn you wanted to know which of the post-War PM's I thought was the best. NONE OF THEM!
When I was serving my vote was always by proxy and I felt that although I had the vote none of the political parties at that time were worth my support so I told my father(my proxy voter) to spoil my ballot paper by placing it in the box BLANK.
I was interested to see that Al Poole chose Clem Atlee. Well he did make some really good calls regarding the formation of the NHS, although Ni Bevan was the instigator and driver of that. The coal industry, given recent history was another good move. But where he and his Labour Government and indeed Churchill on his return to power fell flat on their faces was the misplaced use of the £millions given by the USA to help in the rebuilding of post-war Britian. Whereas the likes of West Germany the Benelux Countries and France pressed forward with rebuilding industry and becoming a new force in Europe with the eventual formation of the ECSC which is now the EU. We, that is our government (s), felt that they would bolster Britain's moral and ploughed all the monies into making films for the poulation to have enjoyment and entertainment something they had missed during the war years. The consequence of this was our inability to compete in the world market with our goods because we had fallen so far behind with our industrial technology.Oh bugger! I've gone off on a history lesson again. Sorry! I'll stop here for any comments.

Hingey

[Gwyn Nicholas]

No need for apologies Hingy I thought it interesting. You were also very honest about your vote. I myself voted Conservative (selfishly perhaps) because as you pointed out earlier, they were the fairer party for the Armed forces. I was approached on one occasion during some local elections by some Labour candidates many years ago and after their opening gambit i asked them both if they owned their own house and a car. They looked at each other, and without another word left the room. After that there was no way I was going to change. Als choice was interesting as the "iron" lady once remarked that she admired him and his government for their radical approach to change.