Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
David Blunkett pops up today in The Guardian Food Monthly. Asked about his views on Margaret Thatcher he says:
'Two things which I always thought about Margaret Thatcher are: what a fantastically driven leader. Someone who had leadership qualities,' he says. 'And secondly, what a bastard for destroying my city, for undermining everything that I stood for, so that 50,000 people lost their jobs in Sheffield in three years.'
No; very easy to argue. Mrs Thatcher did not destroy any jobs. She destroyed the power of the unions that had allowed millions of unprofitable jobs to continue to exist.
Remember that Jim Callaghan had called in the IMF to bail us out, just before Thatcher was elected. She turned our economy from being the basket case of Europe to a thriving (service-driven) economy. In 1997 Blair and Brown inherited this thriving economy and have just spent the last eleven years wrecking it. Just in time for the Tories to sort it out again.
Bob: say after me, "Socialism doesn't work."
David Boycott said:
May 25, 2008 5:15 PM | permalink
It's very easy to argue with that summary. Thatcher left the UK economy in a much better state than she found it, as evidenced by the UK's relative outperformance over the past 20 years.
What exactly did Blunkett "stand for"? He was a disaster for the people of Sheffield - still paying for the Student Games - and an illiberal and incompetent Home Secretary.
Speaking as a Sheffielder, Thatcher didn't destroy Sheffield, Blunkett, Betts and Labour did that.
And when the arrogant little man speaks of 'My City,' he really does put me in mind of some of the less lovely American politicians. Mayor Daly perhaps?
Although thinking about it, I dont suppose Daly ever managed to get a cottage from the Duchess of Devonshire as Boy David did.
David Blunkett did more than anyone else to destroy jobs in Sheffield. It was Margaret Thatcher who who grasped the nettle and sorted out the Unions that were bringing this country and Sheffield to its knees and turned around our basket case economy, I am pleased that Tony Blair carried on with Mrs T's good work.
It is very worrying that Gordon Brown now under great pressure may buckle and start carrying out socialist policies.
inflation and repossesion rising even under the fiddled figures
hyper fuel bills are only just arriving now after 10 years of labour
no referendum on lisbon
and i'm sure that Gordon won't have to be got rid of by the tories at this rate
Gary Elsby stoke-on-trent said:
May 26, 2008 5:25 PM | permalink
Jaymason:The last policy that a Conservative Government had was to surrender Sovereignty to Brussels.
The last judgement that the British people had on a Conservative Governmemt was to expel it.
You would have it that it is my Labour Governemnt that surrendered Sovereignty to Brussels and you would also have it that the same people that expelled you wish to do similar to me and my Government.
I hope you can imagine in your world how I in my world really do try our best to keep sharp instruments out of your reach and your political party on a leash.
We feed you. We water you. So why do you complain?
All the nasty lefties should have realised by now that in the early eighties a very strange thing happened. Three million people suddenly decided they didn't want to work and preferred to hang around all day claiming dole. We've heard this story often enough.
Dave W, three million still don't want to work, they are now on incapacity benefits instead and doing very nicely thank you!
PS Three million people didn't want to work for the pay that would have made their employment profitable for their employers. You can thank the trades unions and inflexible labour laws for that.
Labour's latest round of agency workers legislation, VAT on contractors etc will have a negative impact on long term employment prospects but who cares when the long term for this Government is the headlines in the newspapers next week!
May 25, 2008 5:09 PM | permalink
No; very easy to argue. Mrs Thatcher did not destroy any jobs. She destroyed the power of the unions that had allowed millions of unprofitable jobs to continue to exist.
Remember that Jim Callaghan had called in the IMF to bail us out, just before Thatcher was elected. She turned our economy from being the basket case of Europe to a thriving (service-driven) economy. In 1997 Blair and Brown inherited this thriving economy and have just spent the last eleven years wrecking it. Just in time for the Tories to sort it out again.
Bob: say after me, "Socialism doesn't work."