What is Thatcherism?
Thursday, April 09, 2009
ConservativeHome's ToryDiary: What is Thatcherism?.
Conservative Home is inviting definitions and has stimulated the usual polarised debate. It will take historians as yet unborn to set Margaret Thatcher in context. She is simply too great an historical figure for us to evaluate her without the benefit of distance.
Right now, people see her as either demon or angel. Of course (though I incline more to the angelic view) she was neither. I have ventured my own definition in the comments there. Why not click on the link above and have a go yourself? Let's at least give those poor future historians some contemporary, non-establishment, sources to work with. Here's my definition:
A belief in the family as the basic unit of society; free enterprise as
the main engine of economic, scientific and social progress and the
people - as represented by parliament - as the only legitimate source
of political authority. All this, combined with duties of; public
service for those with the right talents, self-reliance for those
capable of it and responsibility to help the less fortunate. Finally,
an affectionate (though critical) regard for tradition.
Sorry, I did say "bastards", not "bastard".
Posted by: David Davis | Friday, April 10, 2009 at 08:24 PM
That will do: that sums her up. a Classical liberal, which is why the sodding bastard in the Tory party sacked her. Scumbags.
Posted by: David Davis | Friday, April 10, 2009 at 08:24 PM