Originally Posted by cashman (Post 1010297)

Oh yeh i remember, whilst Scargill was a balloon,

Take yer blinkers off yeh blind get, I never said that.;)

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 1010280)

I was always under impression that council houses were fer folk who couldn't afford a mortgage? on that basis it was folly to flog em off cheap.

Originally Posted by Houseboy (Post 1010268)

I do find that opinions about Thatcher tend to be divided and quite extreme but I don't think even the most blue-eyed Tory could deny that there was a great deal of "bad" going on at that time. Could I ask you though, do you, with hindsight, still agree with the privatisations? Do you think that people working hard to make a living and struggling to make ends meet as a result of those privatisations were a price worth paying for a bit of political dogma? Was the destruction of tens of thousands of peoples way of life really worth it just to prove a point?
Just for the record (in case I'm accused of bias) I have been driven away from the Labour party because of the slavish adherence to American foriegn policy. I may be back in the fold soon but at the last couple of elections I have voted (bizarely) UKIP out of desperation and partly because of my dislike/distrust of the EU.
Oh, by the way, in my last post I forgot to mention the 15% interest rates that were forcing people out of there homes and causing businesses to close in record numbers.
Come to think about it, can anyone come up with anything done in that period that worked out well for the ordinary man and woman on the street?

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 1010298)

My mistake I'd have called him a baffoon not a balloon:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 1010301)

Call him what yeh want yer entitled, but aint noticed yeh condemning the damage the bitch did to ordinary working people.:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by andrewb (Post 1010300)

Privatisation wasn't just a "bit of political dogma". It lead to competition which benefited the consumer, replacing inefficient state monopolies and taking the taxpayer off the hook. Take the telephone market. Could you imagine only having the choice of BT? There'd be no reason for them to improve their service, sort out your problems with haste or provide cheap internet access. You have the choice of a large number of suppliers, allowing you to pick the one you prefer.

Politicians do not know best. They can't predict what goods and services people want. Business meets consumer demand, and business fails when it gets it wrong. When politicians decide what is best for us we end up with inefficient and expensive services that we all pay more tax for.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 1010302)

It was these ordinary working people that were hell bent on briging the Government down again, like they did in 74, only it wasn't Ted Teeth this time.;)

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 1010305)

Utter tripe, it was about Pit Closures sod all else, summat torys very conveniently forget.:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by andrewb (Post 1010300)

Privatisation wasn't just a "bit of political dogma". It lead to competition which benefited the consumer, replacing inefficient state monopolies and taking the taxpayer off the hook. Take the telephone market. Could you imagine only having the choice of BT? There'd be no reason for them to improve their service, sort out your problems with haste or provide cheap internet access. You have the choice of a large number of suppliers, allowing you to pick the one you prefer.

Politicians do not know best. They can't predict what goods and services people want. Business meets consumer demand, and business fails when it gets it wrong. When politicians decide what is best for us we end up with inefficient and expensive services that we all pay more tax for.

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris (Post 1010304)

...and what about the privatisation of gas and electric? Has that benefitted the consumer? Has it heck as like. It's been replaced by a cosy little cartel who routinely rip the consumer off to add to their already fat profits. What about water? Have we "the choice of a large number of suppliers"? I hadn't noticed. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 1010309)

That wasn't Scargill purpose, he used it for his own ends, him and his mate mad mick;)

Originally Posted by Guinness (Post 1010313)

Oh to be so innocent and naive..inefficient state monopolies...I remember when I had an issue with water, gas or electric I could use my BT phone and get in touch with someone without going via 12 options only to reach an Indian with little grasp of English.

I could even go down to the Electric Showroom or Gas Board and see someone in person about my complaint.

I once had a problem with British Gas that took me 3 years to get resolved because I had to deal with the email/telephone complaints system instead of being able to speak face to face

Originally Posted by andrewb (Post 1010314)

Yes there are problems. The privatisations that happened haven't turned into some utopian system that can do no wrong. It is better than the old system though. Do you honestly trust politicians to not rake it in and funnel the proceeds into their next pet project.

There's no point in private industry existing if there isn't some form of effective competition. The current energy market clearly needs to be looked at. Unilateral price rises aside, it's incredibly difficult to work out who is actually the cheapest for the amount of energy you use. They can all get away with increasing their prices when it's not clear who to go with. Ofgem, the energy regulator, needs to enforce a simplification of tariffs so that it's crystal clear to consumers.

Originally Posted by andrewb (Post 1010318)

You've got to be kidding me. You would not be able to do that today if it was still nationalised.

Choose a phone company that doesn't have overseas call centres if that's your gripe. That's the beauty, you have the choice.

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 1010316)

No-ones disputing the stupidity n ego of Scargill, what is in dispute is the damage that cow caused to the british public, yet idiots refuse to acknowledge the fact.:rolleyes: