Margaret Thatcher interviews | Thames Television |1971 -1979

A selection of clips taken from Thames Television's Flagship shows - 'Today, This Week and TV Eye'. We see the Rt.Hon Margaret Thatcher. Firstly as Secretary of State For Education and Science to Leader of the Conservative party. Mrs Thatcher answers questions on, Free school Milk, and how to solve unemployment.
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[@louisemc3680]

That woman in the audience needs to let her speak!

[@suhartowaltermkadatuan9244]

She is so rude

[@rizzodefrank]

Win by shouting down and throwing insults it’s the liberal way.

[@tomservo5007]

@Liberty AboveAllElse Dear leader: "We have milk. Some say the best milk in the world. Better milk than any other president ever had." mother: "but Sir, the kids I see are coming home without milk" Dear leader: "That's fake news. Next question."

[@sameera3469]

@@tomservo5007 🤣🤣🤣

[@bruceli9094]

She's a Lefty . Communist

[@shellbell6919]

I had school milk at infant school & I hated it, we were given it during our morning break. In the summer it was too warm & in the winter it was freezing cold. We had older school monitors who made sure we drank every last drop. On several occasions I was sick & brought the whole lot of it back up in the corridor. I was more than happy when I reached the age we weren't forced to drink it anymore. I was one of six children from a working class family. My parents could still afford to feed us & supply us with milk, or a drink of our choice during school breaks. It's not up to the state to feed & water our kids, it's up to us, the parents who choose to have children, or the guardians, who choose to adopt/ foster them.

[@highdefboxing8056]

"Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher!"

[@davidhorn6008]

@shellbell6919 - Which School was this?

[@shellbell6919]

@@davidhorn6008 why ?

[@Sameoldfitup]

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams.

[@violetsinbloom1998]

Wow!!

[@emirz321]

Well said!!! 1 mother has 6 children under 10!! Thatcher was right! This is exactly the problem, people want something for nothing. Don't have 6 children if you cannot provide for them, why should everyone else for pay them? As stated in other comments its the people who wanted everything for nothing who seemed to hate Thatcher.

[@SundaeRoast]

Calm down, Adolf

[@TemptingNoise]

@@SundaeRoast Calm down, Stalin

[@SundaeRoast]

@@TemptingNoise *Trotsky

[@davidhorn6008]

You are short sited and clearly lack the understanding of why this investment was made in the first place!

[@fingerprint5511]

You obviously were not around in the late 1970s ... rationing until 1954 whereas USA ended rationing in 1947, Heath ruined the economy and Thatcher did absolutely nothing to help the fallen Empire build up again. You appear to have forgotten WW2 and the fact over 1 million people replaced those who died in the war, it was too much for the fallen Empire to cope with. And women ... husbands banned their wives from working and so she had to make do with one wage. A very, very foolish uneducated comment from you. You sound American, and very, very ignorant.

[@scholion]

I like both Conservatives and Socialists - I wouldn't wish to live in a world without any of them, but what really settles the issue, for me, is that while a Conservative society would agree to co-exist with Socialism, a Socialist order of society would never accept any sort of Conservative ideas whatsoever. It's against their religion.

[@Anon54387]

The problem is that socialism undermines democracy where it is allowed to exist.

[@fantamas06]

Socialists, go, go!

[@11Kralle]

I've lived in a self-proclaimed 'socialist' society - when I asked a professor 'What's socialism?', he replied:"Here's a pamphlet with seven contemporary definitions - they are all wrong! ...and you have to know them by heart!" Conservatism means equally nothing. ...as f.e. after a few centuries of theocracy/ochlocracy/dictatorship, a conservative would be anyone, who wants to keep theocratic/ochlocratic/dictatorial rule.That's the problem: context has taken a bow to the mere idea in politics! It resembles a committee of censors, who order everyone to honour tradition without any clue what tradition actually means.

[@blueberry7899]

Thats tripe. Conservative society agrees to allows people to talk about socalisism so long as they remain in power....

[@C.D.J.Burton]

well put, 100% spot on

[@bubblegumgun3292]

is thatcher the only rational person in that room

[@artofthepossible7329]

We live in seemingly similar Q&A situations today.

[@lalthangkhuptong9395]

@@artofthepossible7329 esp with Ivy leagues

[@baronmeduse]

Would have to be a room of absolute cretins to be be the case.

[@alee1853]

lost me at having 6 babies

[@benstevinson764]

Margaret Thatcher had a Charisma she was a beautiful lady and I'm not a Tory! Margaret Thatcher had great Political Skills! She was a unique individual!

[@A1DJPaul]

A genius lady ! respect all she says ! its the way forward now in 2016 ! THE only way out of Poverty ! for all !

[@aaronkidd94]

TORY

[@MarquisRex]

Totally agree with you-They made a choice to have more children. Usually middle class folk think twice about having children and as to whether they are able to provide for them. That is called being responsible.

[@suhartowaltermkadatuan9244]

That rude lady. Give sometime ms thatcher time to speak

[@pgslondon]

Brilliant to see the Great Lady. Cause of huge regret that we have had no politicans of her immense callibre since she left office.

[@2000Ajjet]

She knew it! She saw it coming and was ready for it!...Britain was bottoming out there and then! MT - You showed up just in time!

[@Mortizul]

The best Prime Minister of my lifetime.

[@tnakai1971jp]

It is very sad that a lot of people blame her for the sort of things they got or did not get. She was not a magician, nor was she a goddess. She did the best she could. We all have to giver some credit for that.

[@stitchcrashesdisney312lion4]

You are right she wasn't a magician or a goddess. She was just Maggie at the end of the day. She was just a human and also the first female Prime Minister so must have been under a lot of pressure

[@tnakai1971jp]

@@stitchcrashesdisney312lion4 Thank you for showing some interest in my comment. I often prompt people to think "what they would have done if they were in her shoes" and the answer is not easily reached.

[@stitchcrashesdisney312lion4]

@@tnakai1971jp Well that's a very good question you know I'm that kind of person who wants to make everybody feel comfortable and respect their needs but when you have to lead a country you can't satisfy everyone's needs. And I'm not sure if I could deal with that. So, cheers to Maggie!🥂

[@Jimnik088]

God bless you forever Iron Lady. Greatest politician of the 20th century - BY FAR.

[@melgrant7404]

Not.

[@breonabritton8111]

@@melgrant7404 Grow up ,no one owes you shit.

[@melgrant7404]

@@breonabritton8111 oh grow up yourself I don't need anything from anyone.

[@breonabritton8111]

@@melgrant7404 I didnt say anything for u to say that

[@melgrant7404]

@@breonabritton8111 yes you did you said grow up and no one owes me anything.

[@bernardjoseph2409]

a capable woman

[@ricomartinez2869]

No she isn't....she is dead now

[@melgrant7404]

@@ricomartinez2869 thank god

[@breonabritton8111]

@@melgrant7404 Thank your god.Satan

[@melgrant7404]

@@breonabritton8111 he's your God not mine

[@nanny7996]

I had forgotten how good looking she was also beautifully groomed

[@gshridharanpillai9423]

Yeah she was a fine woman. Elegant and Witty.

[@andypandy4607]

Maggie was such a babe

[@stitchcrashesdisney312lion4]

@@andypandy4607 I never thought of Maggie to be a babe this took me by surprise

[@EmilyHartley25989]

Confirmation bias. Not unattractive, mainly due to charisma, but certainly not attractive either.

[@1ramises]

You need some new glasses !!

[@CoreyChambersLA]

Liberty is fundamental. - Margaret Thatcher

[@growlerthe2nd712]

Yeah, but taking them isn’t.

[@dggstlhl]

This is the first I have seen this in full with Mrs Thatcher's excellent and cogent arguments. She was the conviction politician who was prepared to argue her case and fight back the gimme gimme socialists.

[@LizzyxDarcy]

Margaret was right as usual. What a great lady!

[@Celisar1]

Incredible and extremely impressive how she gives precise, well thought through answers without ever stumbling, hesitating or stoping to change her wording!

[@jonnewman6332]

She was a beast. Not a compliment.

[@ClearOutSamskaras]

@@jonnewman6332 Tell me something, just one thing if you wish, about her time as Prime Minister that qualifies her as "a beast".

[@jonnewman6332]

@@ClearOutSamskaras Destruction of post war industry and manufacturing. She wilfully and knowingly destroyed lives, communities and (no such thing as) society. Yes labour had failed, but she had the opportunity to deal with the bosses as well as just stamping on the unions i.e. people. The Falklands. A tricky one. But her disgraceful grandstanding afterwards was nauseous, callous and a blatant appeal for votes. (Though Blair's "hand of history" was maybe even worse). And ah, the finale, The Poll Tax. Every person pays the same regardless of income! An abomination. Even her inner circle tried to warn her off. Unfortunately, her greatest strength became her downfall; bloody mindedness and conviction. Not a criticism of those qualities. I just disagree with her.

[@EngelbertEdelholz]

The most important mistake she made was to think that the whole of her nation would or could act according to the same integrity and patience she herself did throughout her life, that's where she really showed blindness. Coming from a lower class family of five children I say that dogs live a dog's life, and there's always barking involved.

[@bplayford9343]

Fine lady, dragged the great uk from its knees and we prospered, my parents are able to leave me property and wealth because of her economy.

[@scapingby]

@Lord Rupert why should we care about mining? this isn't the 20th century. she dragged the country kicking and screaming into the 21st.

[@scapingby]

@Lord Rupert old enough to know better

[@scapingby]

​@Lord Rupert Britain was in permanent decline after the second world war and needed some medicine. She gave the country that medicine which didn't taste very nice. She shifted the focus from manufacturing to financial services which was a pretty good idea wouldn't you agree? Can you imagine trying to compete with India/ China/ USA when it comes to manufacturing today? Given our population size we'd need mass immigration, we'd need to build over every blade of grass. we'd need to relax our employment laws and keep a low minimum wage. No, instead, we can all relax in air conditioned offices earning lots of money.

[@scapingby]

@Lord Rupert Ok so it's been 40 years..? Is that not enough time to reskill and/ or relocate to find opportunity? Should the entire country still be living in the industrial age because some communities want to mine coal? instead, we've imported much of our coal needs in the 2000's which is far more sensible and we're now a position where coal is used less and less and renewables are on the rise. The largest offshore windfarm in the world is off the Yorkshire coast. we're generating close to 50% of all our electricity needs with wind and solar. That's the general direction of all mature economies in the west and keeps Greta Thunberg happy. You want to mine coal? "How dare you!" as Greta would say. AND you call me selfish? you literally want to kill the planet with your coal ambitions.

[@breonabritton8111]

@@scapingby You forget, you are arguing with logic and reasoning which the left cannot tolerate.

[@brynmiller7547]

She was a wonderful prime minister.she would have sorted out the EU mess we are in and also immigration.

[@sail1948]

Bryn Miller Thatcher took us deeper into the EU than any other politician.

[@TheLeSamuel]

What nonsense are you talking? Margaret Thatcher's opposition to the EU is what ultimately led to her downfall as Prime Minister unfortunately.

[@MsFanmail]

All these socialists want something for nothing and expect everyone to pay for them

[@rockie0708]

+MsFanmail fuck you. Stop tarnishing everyone with the same brush. I work hard as a socialist! Twat.

[@philipcurnow7990]

Sam Matthews No, Thatcher's downfall culminated with the Poll Tax. Even her own Party abandoned her on this one.

[@dewayneblue1834]

First time I was in the UK was in the 1970s and I was shocked, it looked like something out of a Charles Dickens novel. Run-down factories, hardly anything worked and the labor force was often out on strike. The basically bankrupt UK looked like a country stuck in the days of the 19th century industrial revolution. Then came Thatcher and dragged the UK into modernity, she fixed the UK, and not a moment too soon.

[@meredithhunter6419]

First time I was in the UK was in the 2022 and I was shocked, it looked like something out of a Charles Dickens novel. Run-down services, hardly anything worked and the labour force was often out on strike. The basically bankrupt UK looked like a country yearning for the days of the 18th century slave trade. Then came Liz Truss and the world laughed.

[@TeslaKuhn33]

I just want to say I find her spectacular and would have enjoyed her friendship tremendously. No it's not just the accent.

[@leooostveen4435]

On and on and on about the bloody milk. This was canned in Australia around the same time. Never heard 'Gough the milk snatcher', or 'Joh the milk snatcher'. It shows the resistance Thatcher faced to change the dependency mindset.

[@olihudd2852]

Margaret was such a wonderful woman

[@mandysroyalty]

Four babies in four years, eh? Mrs. M. Booth is justifying free lunch and milk because a woman has six kids. Who told that woman that six kids was affordable? As Thatcher says, people are expecting the educational system to fix society's problems. What about the parents? Make a responsible choice, use common sense, or even have a sense of responsibility. That's why the world is in the mess it's in now: "Someone will do it for me" or "I want that for free!". Maggie was more polite than I.

[@Pearcity]

We couldn’t afford her to have 6 children.

[@DmitriiMaslov]

> "One mother has six children under ten. ... Now can she afford...?" Now can she afford condoms maybe?

[@annalisa4658]

@Blixem the Leopard Cunt 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@davidglover1854]

The beauty of Mrs Thatchers answer was that whilst it was perfectly reasonable, it left us to think the unsayable, 'WTF you doing having 6 kids and moaning about costs?!'

[@paulvangastel8665]

Six children and holding up five fingers...

[@Mabibol]

@Blixem I generally share the same kind of view as you on responsability but the thing is : to mate and have children is what nature made us for while taxes and all your society rules are artificial creations therefore they are the burden that stop people from being able to feed their children rather than the opposite way around if you want to be purely objective on the matter.

[@tahtah688]

😂😂🤣

[@HRHooChicken]

I remember paying 18p for my little carton of milk in school at break time. If you can't afford that for your kids, then maybe you should stop smoking.

[@dibdap2373]

Or stop having kids. If they cannot afford to care for kids why do they have 6 or 7 of them?

[@elrjames7799]

Ironically (it may seem from viewing thing clip), it was the outcome of Margaret's own period in office, that led to the economic empowerment of the stupidity and stubbornness personified by her studio opponent, and also the diminution of the very good manners, courtesy and deference that Margaret herself clearly didn't feel were amiss on such a televised occasion.

[@zoedark7101]

I am a Liberal but why does anyone need to have 6 children they can't feed? "if you're already struggling why have more children?

[@gianlucamorena3076]

it is a common behavior among people who are poor to have children, because once they grow up they become the labor force of the family. It is an economic investment.

[@C.D.J.Burton]

@@gianlucamorena3076 Not if they adopt the same philosophy as the mother, and just have 7 more kids. At some point they gotta start working more and birthing less

[@gianlucamorena3076]

@@C.D.J.Burton ok, but for this reason that you wrote children in poor families are more neglected both from the point of view of education and physical growth.

[@francofan100]

“And the more children you have, the more likely one of them will get big in Hollywood! Then who’s payin’ the bills? Hollywood kid!”

[@sookibeulah9331]

@@gianlucamorena3076 that’s only valid in countries that don’t have any kind of governmental pension or health care program.

[@Jimii89]

Anybody who has a child should be financially able to sustain them without having to rely on the collective.

[@mickeyjim19844]

Couldn't agree with you more

[@baronmeduse]

When under austerity goverments like Thatcher's people usually can't. That's the problem.

[@VeggieBackGarden]

What a deplorable person, with deplorable political views.

[@jackkruese4258]

Can’t feed them don’t breed them.

[@jackstuhley1745]

This is why our birth rate is plummeting. God help you all.

[@Iazzaboyce]

You hit the nail on the head there - when you said you are too young to remember.

[@LotusViniAndSpirits]

Iron Lady you are my hero, I was born in redistribution society - where crime flourished and eventually they did run out of other people’s money! She saved Britain from EU & from distraction; She gave hope to millions i.e. yours truly hope for better future!

[@sydney287]

Gosh most composed person. I wouldn’t be so composed with people talking over me.

[@joshuawaring4180]

She looks old and young at the same time

[@francofan100]

That’s what being 45/46 is like!

[@Someonesaidthis]

Three words, makeup and hair theory.

[@QueenR_974]

She seemed a lot more softer and nicer during this time

[@DmitriiMaslov]

> 'I saw children coming home... to drink!' OMG, they didn't know about bottles? Such a ridiculous reason. Why even the state should give anyone free milk? All other countries lived great without it. School is only about education and this is it. Feeding children is a problem of their parents.

[@owenent9636]

Oh but the UK is a "nanny state" - Whereupon people come to rely on handouts

[@Anon54387]

+Дмитрий Маслов We make this same mistake in the USA. It started with lunch for those who couldn't afford it. It's now turned into free breakfast. They even open the school cafeterias over the summer so that people can eat their during summer vacation even though school isn't in session. It isn't fair that they go hungry over the summer, the line goes. The truth is they want these kids around school employees more and more and around parents less and less. They start them to school earlier and earlier to be able to more easily program them to be collectivists. School is easily as much about social engineering as it is about teaching arithmetic, reading and writing. It's why I'm against the idea of public schools altogether. People send their kids to quality private schools for less per year than the public schools cost. If we abolished the public schools and the taxes that support them, parents could send their kids to private schools. An added bonus is that one your kids are out of school, one is done paying for school. As it is now, you pay for school for your whole life whether you have kids in school or not.

[@Patrick3183]

Benjamin Rood children cannot have milk then?

[@breonabritton8111]

@@Patrick3183 Yes,they can get it home the state is not a parent.

[@BRUTUALTRUTH]

A Monster for All Seasons

[@anthonybeervor2265]

OK, as a minister of education she had a set sum coming from the treasury to spend on education. In the 1970s, ordinary people were beginning to be able to afford milk for their children, and there seemed no reason to exempt this from the free market. Moreover, malnutrition wasn't an issue any more like it was in the immediate post-war years. So she decided to allocate money to improving and building new school buildings instead, while allowing free milk for children with special medical issues. It seemed to be a very uncontroversial decision at the time. But then Labour found a way to score some cheap political points with it, along with all the misogyny entailed in portraying her as some kind of "bad mother".

[@Anon54387]

+prophetchannel Well, isn't that typical of leftists?

[@anthonybeervor2265]

+Anon54387 I wouldn't say it is a leftist thing, it's just the nature of politics.

[@MsFanmail]

THIS LADY WAS POPULAR IN MY COUNTY !

[@melgrant7404]

Not in many others

[@charlottebruce979]

Good for you. How nice for you.

[@CanadianMonarchist]

Which country was that?

[@MarquisRex]

They made a choice to have more children. Usually middle class folk think twice about having children and as to whether they are able to provide for them. That is called being responsible.

[@carinka9383]

Thanks. What a Woman👸🏼

[@MrBindley]

is this woman for real, she probably cringes every time she sees herself. i hated milk at school and glad it stopped. mrs T was so patient with this silly lady. thanks for all the wonderful things you did maggie,

[@davinadavis4930]

children with parents on benefits get free school meals

[@BossySwan]

RIP Maggie. Amazing woman

[@HikikomoriDev]

So if Ms. Thatcher gave milk forms for the needy why was the public still complaining then? Wouldn't things continue to be normal for people if they filled the forms out lol?

[@CanadianMonarchist]

According to Mrs. Booth the needy were too stupid to fill out the forms. I think I would be offended if I were a needy person.

[@mikecook1537]

Wow i wish we could have another thatcher

[@nomadlion1985]

Wow, never saw woman that is more inteligent, has a caracter and beautifull at the same time !!

[@champagnesocialist3716]

You should get out more then

[@artofthepossible7329]

"I had 2 advantages growing up: having zero money and having good parents" Clearly the objective for the social world is to train people to be good parents and the starting point for budding entrepreneurs is to begin with as little money as possible.

[@youwee6256]

MOM i need your milk ;-) I love u MOM. When you speak the words are flowing like a stream of flowers MOM. I love you.

[@jamesfordjhfcontractingltd1627]

Best prime minister ever

[@moniquesouth8999]

Regardless of public opinion towards Mrs Thatchers political agenda, one main factor important to her was to keep Britian as an independent state. Today the value of the pound has dropped vs international currency at a tremendous rate. Eventually Britain will join the Euro dollar losing it,s independent value, and thus inflation will go through the roof. Many people are fleeing Britain now before the economic crash. Many predictions made by Margaret are coming into effect now.

[@IFINEVERSING]

The most perceptive and dedicated politician of our age and she speaks clearly

[@converse91970]

I will - looks like you have a very interesting set of vids!

[@dtecrick]

If this woman had stayed in number ten for few more terms this country would be a hell of lot better off than we are. Her principles where spot on and basic. Why should people have things on a plate like they do today, i'm too young to remember her but when i listen to her i wish someone like her would come back and save this sorry country, A priminister with a real pair of balls.

[@Cnd1867]

Respect is a two way street in life, as it is in politics. You want your MP to genuinely listen to your concerns and be kind to you, then you better damn well be kind to them back. The vast majority of politicians are honourable people who do want to do the best they can for the people of their constituency but if you're a jerk to them, or interrupt them or insult them, why in the hell should they give you any sort of courtesy back?

[@stitchcrashesdisney312lion4]

You're so right politicians are also just human beings with a beating heart in their chest and feelings

[@shkelqesiamadhe6915]

A very talented and brave woman!

[@kaninwittgren7041]

Why is she not letting Thatcher answer? She asked a question didn't she?

[@milltonfreedman8674]

oh my, the woman in the audience is straight out of Dickens, isn't she...

[@padreq12]

A true lady.

[@ReeceMarshallPersonal]

As much as I usually agree with thatcher, the investment into the youth and education is always worth it.

[@alexksader_zp8554]

but not in the form of milk, surely? I really do not get the point of providing children with milk. I, as a school kid, never even wanted milk during school, I was fully happy with my bottle of water i brought with myself from home.

[@swooningtree]

The milk controversy seems crazy nowadays. When I was in early school, I hated the milk. And water was always available and is much better for you.

[@karldelavigne8134]

I remember the milk at schools; it was disgusting, was given regardless of lactose intolerance, and was a relic of Victorian do-goodery when there was genuine malnutrition. Mrs. Booth was a stupid questioner and probably the worst sort of mother.

[@nanny7996]

Karl Delavigne I thought the milk was just fine, I was fortunate not to suffer with lactose intolerance in that case I would gave drunk the water. My grandchild while on a visit to England raved about the water there.

[@charlottebruce979]

I loved the milk and looked forward to my mini milk bottle with a straw.

[@muzeezhodillo8613]

We got ginger biscuits as well so that there was something for the milk to wash down.

[@gshridharanpillai9423]

"One mother has 6 children under the age of 10..." She has employed all of herself for the past decade to nothing but birthing children. With a work experience like that, no wonder, she earns 18 pounds a week.

[@leelacabin]

Absolutely!!!

[@CoreyChambersLA]

Margaret Thatcher was one one the greatest leaders in history. Being hated and feared by tyrannical socialists is a tremendous badge of honor.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Ha ha ha ha..nice one.

[@Natashahoneypot]

I just remember as a kid, life got better after 1979. Before then I remember life being hell.

[@melgrant7404]

Funny some people found the opposite!

[@merlinmediagroup]

@James Brennan That is probably because you became an adult in the late 90s and your idealistic/romantic view of life (that most children adopt) had matured, as happens to almost everyone.

[@kevinlongman007]

The woman who asked the question about the milk harped on too much.

[@Jantv81]

Government should not have to provide free school meals... that's just common sense. These are your children... know your responsibility.

[@ZaqueMadison]

Mrs Thatcher, was a still is the worlds greatest politician! she made the hard decisions, of which todays worlds comes to know! i personally Love Margaret, and her views

[@essvee86]

Twenty years later, she would destroy Thames television and pretty much the beginning of the end for quality British television.

[@sedwarg]

This is how Question Time should be now. Politicians talking to people. Not Dimbleby piping up every 2 seconds.

[@agsigns]

We need her now!!

[@pattocetamol]

Everyone commenting on how amazing Maggie Thatcher the Milk Snatcher are obviously not from the north west of England

[@pattocetamol]

Lets talk about poll tax

[@east738]

love you Maggie, yes you did "save us"

[@melgrant7404]

From industry

[@dimitriosdesmos4699]

nooo, North Sea oil saved you.....Britain was about to go to depression.

[@Dunk1970]

@@melgrant7404 It is a common myth that manufacturing and industry died at the hands of Thatcher, when in reality manufacturing has seen steady growth throughout the last 75 years. The fact that other industry sectors also grew up along side it thereby adding more diversity to our revenue streams is often used to propogate this false premise. In other words, manufaturing has grown and we are now less reliant on it. The true picture: www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/timeseries/k22a/diop Note from the above link that Industry declined during Thatcher's first 18 months in office, while she sorted out the union mess. It then grew and was higher when she left office in 1990 than it had been when she took office in 1979.

[@melgrant7404]

@@Dunk1970 try telling that to the out of work miners

[@Dunk1970]

@@melgrant7404 Gladly ... As for the pits. If you ask people who they think closed the mines, 99% of people will leap to say Margaret Thatcher, such is the propaganda that the left has spread. Yet she and Heath before her presided over the slowest rate of pit closures across the entire period of decline. Between 1947 and 1994, some 950 mines were closed by UK governments. Clement Attlee’s Labour government closed 101 pits between 1947 and 1951; Macmillan (Conservative) closed 246 pits between 1957 and 1963; Wilson (Labour) closed 253 in his two terms in office between 1964 and 1976; Heath (Conservative) closed 26 between 1970 and 1974; and Thatcher (Conservative) closed 115 between 1979 and 1990. Attlee : 25 pits per year Macmillan : 41 pits per year Wilson : 31 pits per year Heath : 7 pits per year Thatcher : 10 pits per year That’s Labour closing 354 in just 12 years (30 per year!). Conservatives closing 387 in 21 years (18 per year). It had been a long steady reduction for 32 years prior to her coming into power and she oversaw fewer pits closing per year than had been happening already. She essentially inherited a great mess across several dying industries from previous governments. Note: I am not purely blaming one party over the other for said mess. This topic is about Thatcher though and not the Conservatives or Labour. Thatcher oversaw a change in the economic focus areas for the country that saw us change from being the sick man of Europe to getting back on the road to being a solid economy again. She sought to reduce the stranglehold of power the unions had down to reasonable levels, particularly around the legitimacy of strike action. Levels that the Labour party did not choose to reverse during their 13 year reign from 1997 to 2010. To quote Blair addressing the TUC at the beginning of his tenure: "Modernise your political structures as we have done in the Labour party. Influence with this government and with me is not determined by anything other than the persuasiveness of your arguments." "The old ways - resolutions, the committee rooms, the fixing, the small groups trying to run the show - have no future.” "New trade unionism - that is your aim. Partners for progress. That is your slogan." "Let's build trade unions that are creative, not conservative, that show they can work with management to make better companies.” "Unions that people join not just out of fear of change or exploitation, but because they are committed to success.” "Unions that look forwards, not backwards, that support workers as they are, and foster the adaptability they need to be secure in a competitive and fast changing world." "We will not go back to the days of industrial warfare, strikes without ballots, mass and flying pickets, secondary action and all the rest." No party wanted the unions to have the tyranical powers that they once wielded.

[@mynameiswhatever]

What? Didn't you know that free milk for every child is a fundamental human right? It's written someplace: "You MUST pay for milk for other people's children. So let it be written, so let it be done."

[@amaral08]

Brazilian politicians would never handle such face to face harsh conversations...

[@bruceleroyhoffman]

Maggie had style. The best always have style.

[@Cnd1867]

When I was in elementary school here in Canada, 8:30 - 3:30 everyday, walking to school and walking back, there was no such thing as free milk. There were water fountains, and if you didn't want to use the water fountain, you brought a container of water from home. And really if these people are so worried about children not getting the milk (the milk they don't even need) then the parents should make economies themselves and stop complaining that someone else isn't paying for it.

[@tommytinklercomedy1552]

0:08-1971 5:13-1975 9:02-1979

[@DinkyDoughnut]

She was Right, population growth will greatly reduce Economic Growth. It’s something that cannot be re-iterated to the public unless one understands the World Over Population problem today.

[@marco76182]

she is so beautiful

[@wongjock648]

My God Margaret Thatcher is an attractive women on so many levels

[@assholus228]

Thatcher is clearly an avid reader of Mill's 'On Liberty'

[@keraman2]

did u notice....she aged quite a lot in 8 years.......God Bless her....she saved the British people from turning into a thrid world country...

[@Revanjames]

That is very true, however trust me man; as one of the few people in my very large extended family who has a job and is atm childless... plenty of children that are supported by the state can be prevented with simple actions... but so many don't take them. Damn, a few years back one of my cousins was saying how she wanted another baby because it'd help her "get out of shit hole" her family lived in. Her plan worked; she got a bigger house in a nicer area. Good for her, right?

[@costernocht]

"Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher!"

[@tobytaylor2154]

I'm glad she got rid of the free milk at school, ours was left outside and was always sour by the time us kids got it. Put me off milk to this day.

[@seansmith445]

Yes I still have memories of horrible smelling warm milk, disgusting it was.

[@SelfProclaimedHuman]

She's a part of society. It effects everyone.

[@AKGagliano]

What an incredible person she is.

[@ghirardellichocolate201]

She used Sensodyne repair and protect new for pressure, but then again Crest children's toothpaste is a necessity to fix your heart and bring back good memories. Once you have used that along with your legumes, better smile than cry, then to sleep try something that closes your eyes at nights before the deficiency arrives. Foot bug? Bags under eyes?

[@Robby334]

She has the most inspiring voice ever..............

[@simonanders5676]

The milk question was relevant at the time. I say this as a child of the 70's. However, most of us hated milk.....its proper puke.....it always was....MT did us a favour....water is the thing.

[@LLLLLLLLLucas]

got to love Mrs T :) x

[@melgrant7404]

Haven't got to thankfully

[@gunzoberelo9878]

She may as well be the first AI ever. to talk so perfectly You must have something special about You

[@Iazzaboyce]

I don't think anyone ever said the world was going to end. It was just a way of making sure children got some calcium. You survived because you were lucky to have parents that could/would give you what you needed. Lucky you...

[@SRPC21]

Thatcher's brilliant

[@eblake4321]

***** hi janine. enjoy being a pleb, you deserve it.

[@greyscott5734]

***** No, thugs may be glad she is dead. Unfulfilled people who whine and complain rather than do anything about their circumstances may be glad she is dead. Moral people who realise value must be created by earnest effort, are glad she lived. Moral people who recognise earnest efforts, as was her effort to try and save a country she dearly loved, are glad she lived.

[@greyscott5734]

***** "That is why my father always taught me: never worry about anyone who attacks you personally; it means their arguments carry no weight and they know it." - Margaret Thatcher March10, 1986 - 29 years later, still applicable.

[@eblake4321]

***** Eric you are a pleb. Have a nice day.

[@eblake4321]

***** maybe it does, doesn't change that you are a low life though.