Sad legacy of Thatcher years

Trusted article source icon
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Profile image for This is Bristol

This is Bristol

I WRITE to say how much I agree with your correspondents Michael Thompson, D Harvey and M Jones (Your Say, September 20).

There is no doubt in my mind that the Thatcher era made the size of your salary and bonus more important than the value of the work you did and this "New Conservative" Government has done little to stop this trend.

Having worked as a banker for more than 30 years, I know the latest turmoil in the City would not have happened if sound financial deposit and lending ratios, as taught to me, had been followed.

Sadly, it is the average and lower- paid worker, rather than the perpetrators of these risky and corrupt practices, who pay yet again, with the inevitable job losses and consequences that must follow.

F Smith Gloucester

2
Tweet this article
Report

2 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Michael Thompson, Brixham

    Friday, October 03 2008, 4:17PM

    “Ohhhh Dear, Charles Henry's online love affair with Margaret Thatcher seems to have blinded him to one simple fact about his own character.

    Charles Henry really seems to have no time for working class Britain's who at the time of the miners strike were fighting for their livelyhoods, and their communities, and Arthur Scargill new what the Tory right wing were all about which is why he tried his very best to bring down the Thatcher Government.

    The right wing of the Tory party
    only ever serve to look after the rich, while our vital services suffer chronic under funderfunding for income tax cutting purposes.

    Sadly Scargill failed to bring down the Thatcher government, then the rot set in, and 28 years on with a New Labour Government continuing Thatcher's right wing policies, millions of low waged people and pensioners are going to freeze in their homes this winter because they cannot afford the excessive bills created for greedy shareholders and Utility bosses care of the privatised Utilities.

    Michael Thompson
    Link-Age/Countrywide & member of The Devon Pensioners Action Forum.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Charles Henry, Somerset

    Tuesday, September 30 2008, 8:40AM

    “Well you didn't learn much in 30 years did you Mr.Smith. . The remaining Brown supporters seem to believe (and are being led to believe), if the American credit crunch hadn't arrived first, they could have just carried on as before spending money they didn't have from the Money Tree. . .

    Mrs Thatcher?. . Let's examine a world without her influences. . Firstly we would have an economy totally dependant on coal with Arthur Scargill constantly in Number 10 having beer and sandwiches with say Michael Foot or Neil Kinnock. (And they think they've got a problem with Gordon Brown.) . . . . Rats would now be infesting every household and would be coming up through everyone's toilets. . The Rubbish collectors would only work when they feel like it, and insist that the piles of rubbish are no more than 3 metres high. . . . When the stench became unbearable in the summer they would demand quadruple time and then time off in lieu. . .(Health and Safety) . . . . People would be being told by animal rights activists that they must learn to love rats; and anyone now found guilty of disposing of them with anything other than contraceptive drugs would leave themselves open to prosecution with a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment. . . . . The Print Unions would have retained their stranglehold on the Newspaper Industry and we would be the only country in the world using Type Setters and old fashioned Platen Printing Presses capable of only 3000 presses an hour. . . . . Computers!? . . Don't be silly! We would still all be using Typewriters!!! . . . . More worryingly the Berlin Wall would probably still exist and the Cold War with the Soviet Union would really be hotting up now, as the American President Ronald Regan would have been no match for the Russians without Margaret's guidance, friendship and influence. . She was the original. . 'The Iron Lady'. . . . . Worst of all, Europe would have completely steam rollered any other incumbents of No 10 and so by now Germany would be virtually in control of all our foreign policy decisions. . We would have no Polaris Submarines and we would be dependent on France for any protection against Nuclear threats. . . . . . Since the Falklands would have been surrendered and we no longer had a place at the table with the G7 (There would be no G8) Nations, the Americans would no longer consider that we had a special relationship with them; which after all has been one of the main aims of European Commission since its inception. . . . Pie in the sky!? . I don't think so. . An exaggeration? . Well Maybe. . But after reading Michael Thompson's letter and backward rhetoric; and now F.Smith's 'sour grapes' I thought people should be brought back to Earth.”

        Add your comments

        max 4000 characters
         
         
         
         
         
         

        Tell us about your area

        Got some interesting news? Write about it and let your whole community know.

          Write an article