I would, too. See? Agreement is possible, Rumpole.

She wouldn't be Home Secretary in a million years IMHO.Many of the good quality ones who resigned would be back in.

The best 80's or 90's political quote might be Maggie,the spiritual godmother of the blessed TM and most of the rest of the cabinet,who told Pinochet (mass murdering scum who led a military coup against a democratically elected government):

"I'm also very much aware that it is you who brought democracy to Chile..."

Edited by legaleagle (02 Jun 2017 7.20pm)

Yawn.

The full quote is:
"I'm also very much aware that it is you who brought democracy to Chile, you set up a constitution suitable for democracy, you put it into effect, elections were held, and then, in accordance with the result, you stepped down."
But is Thatcher standing in this election? IRA fans Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbot are.

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

The full quote makes no difference whatsoever to my point about the mass murderer....

The current cabinet are Maggie'spiritual and ideological successors.

The Provos would arguably never have arisen had N Ireland not been allowed by us to be like a Northern Mississippi for nearly half a century.Complete balls ups with the civil rights movement (non violent)then led to support growing for the Provos. People like Corbyn who suggested in the 80's we should talk with the Provos were called terrorist sympathisers but were later proved right.Its what Maggie's government started doing through back channels and then the deal was done by the Blair government and,guess what we have peace now benefiting all there...its called "dispute resolution"

If you (which you may do) know anything about the 20th century "end of the British empire" it was characterised by people who were characterised as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers (Kenyatta,Makarios) and then after we (as we frequently did) sat down and did the deal,we hailed them as statesman...

Ireland was/is a classic colonial situation..which in no way excuses the dodgy excesses of the Provos and the Protestant paramilitaries.

Just an opinion.

Edited by legaleagle (02 Jun 2017 7.43pm)

Do you know what that means?

In what way are the current cabinet are Maggie'spiritual and ideological successors? Just because they are Tories? Does that make Corbyn, Blair's spiritual and ideological successor, or perhaps Ramsey MacDonald? Certainly Thatcher's friendliness towards Pinochet does her no credit. But I don't remember him blowing men, women and children to pieces on mainland Britian, and of course his body count is tiny compared to the communists that Corbyn's campaign leader, Andrew Murray praised while a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, he only left it in December 2016. Corbyn did not just suggest talking to the Provos, he actively showed support for them, as did the shadow Chancellor and shadow Home Secretary - all in a manner similar to the ways you complain about Thatcher.

Edited by hedgehog50 (02 Jun 2017 7.59pm)

We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men. [Orwell]

8/11 with BetFred that he doesn't.

Mr Hedgehog,

Your "Pinochet" point doesn't actually answer my point.

And you don't apply the same standards to Maggie as you do to Labour politicians.By the way,Maggie also provided military training to the Khmer Rouge.

If you disagree that the PM and much of the cabinet are spiritual and ideological successors of Maggie (as opposed to say MacMillan and that Corbyn's is plainly not Ramsey McDonald's) ..I'm not sure I can help you further.

Edited by legaleagle (02 Jun 2017 8.06pm)

Meanwhile, the underfunded, cash-strapped NHS seeks to recruit more essential staff.

[Link]

There's a whole load of 'diversity' and 'patient experience' drones employed by the NHS. On higher salaries than staff nurses or junior doctors. Everyone talks about 'money for the NHS' without looking into how the money's spent. It is an appallingly badly run organisation.