political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Many Happy Returns to Lady Thatcher
May I on behalf of you all send an electronic Happy 84th birthday to the greatest Prime Minister of our times, Margaret Thatcher.
I would accept 'your times' but as 'our' includes myself, I am afraid whilst I have the greatest of admiration for Baroness Thatcher. The greatest woman prime minister,and patriot, of our times but I must say that Sir Winston Churchill must rank as the greatest prime minister and patriot of 'our times'
Happy Birthday Baroness Thatcher. The woman who put the GREAT back into Great Britain, to then watch as she was stabbed in the back by 'colleagues' and witness a labour administration remove the 'great' once again.
I wasn't that bothered by her election in '79 as Labour and Conservative were in and out like fiddlers' elbows.
I was rattled by her election in 1983 and furious when she made it a third time in 1987.
Socialist, that was me.
But now I see the rank greed and hypocrisy of people denouncing the 1980s as "greedy" and Thatcher as vile whilst gorging on materialism to an extent unimaginable in the 1980s.
I see the rank greed and hypocrisy of people who call the 1980s "uncaring", totally forgetting the political activists of that decade, and stand by whilst New Labour does far worse.
And I realise in retrospect that Thatcher had integrity, although I can never agree with her approach.
She makes today's politicians seem shabbier than ever.
Possibly the most devisive politicians of my lifetime. It was Thatcherism that created the "me first" culture which we see to our cost today.
That said, she was a *leader* rather than a follower and she stood up for the things which she believed in and you have to admire her for that, even if you didn't like her politics.
So Happy Birthday Maggie. I hope you are proud of the society you helped to create.
I couldn't agree less with Never Forget's analysis. In what way did Lady T create a "me first" culture? She sought to move responsibility from the state to the individual and that needs re-inforcing as David Cameron pointed out in his conference speech - not reversing. What we are seeing now is a chronic failure of regulation. Brown designed the FSA - he was happy to collude with the City in the high risk activity that has cost us so dear because it helped fund his state expansionism and it fit with his arrogant fantasy that he could eradicate the economic cycle. For sure, Lady T made some tactical mistakes (e.g. community charge) but I think on the whole history is proving her right, not wrong. A creed of individual responsibility and accountability is about recognising that society starts with you and me. If we want things to get better we must all contribute. Who will make the sacrifices to put things right? Me first.
Don't forget she caused global warming, world famine, the AIDS epidemic, the current collapse of our financial system, and also greediness(a bit ironic as she was the daughter of a Rotarian). I jest. Happy birthday Mrs T.
I was less than a year old when the Brighton Bombing happened but watching the video of its effects and her response to it I found myself incredibly moved. I didn't realise either it was just before her birthday.
Many happy returns to her, and I hope she has a long and happy time still ahead of her.
When you publish photos of yourself in mid-80s cavortings, you remind us of how narrow is your perspective of "our times".
Since "my times" go back to the first Churchill administration, and my memories just about include Clem Attlee, I sense real comparisons for "greatest".
By the same standards of merit, Norwich City is the finest football team in the land ... in the First Division.
She may have had her faults but she was worlds ahead of anything we have had since (especially the here and now). May I wish Lady Thatcher all the very best on her Birthday and may she have many more. She is well respected..
Indeed many happy returns indeed. I look forward to celebrating her 90th. Which will be a red letter year as I will be celebrating my 65th.
Maria has a point - just look at the shabby materialistic Labour MPs - screaming like stuck pigs. How J.Smith had the bare faces effrontery to make the shallow 'apology' that she did beggars belief. Equally appalling were the 'hear hears' that it received from the labour benches.
She economically has a good story to tell but in terms of Irish affairs, she was a disasterous PM and set back peace for years and the only people who think she contributed anything to Ireland are those who did not live there.
But at the end of the day she is now an old lady now so.
We all salute her. I joined the Party the week she became leader, aged 18. I do not think I would still be here in the UK if it hadn't been for what she did to put the country on its feet - a legacy that all her successors so far may have frittered away to varying degrees but have not yet been able to destroy.
She did not seem to be at the Brighton commemoration service yesterday, which probably means she is not too well as I am sure it must have taken wild horses to have stopped her. So - keep your strength up and remember that there are legions of us who will never forget what you did for your country. It's a pity she probably won't read this but maybe a friend or acquaintance can give her some choice snippets?
Interesting to note that her birthday is only 4 days later than David Cameron's. I do not usually "do" star signs, but is this a hopeful conjunction? A sign that when his leadership metal is fully tested, he may also pass the sternest of tests?
I would like to extend warm birthday wishes to Margaret Thatcher today. Baroness Thatcher continues to remain a role model to many people, particularly women, around the world. Her career is a collection of "firsts." She was the youngest female Conservative Party member to stand for election in history, she was the first woman to hold the title Leader of the Opposition, and she was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
As Prime Minister, she took an active role in defending economic freedom and democratic ideals. Her push to privatize British industry and lower tax rates led to a substantial economic expansion in the United Kingdom. She was just as influential in foreign policy. Along with President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Thatcher recognized the evil of Communism and worked tirelessly to erode the power and influence of the Soviet Union.
Her life and career serve as a blueprint for overcoming the odds and challenging the "status quo." She started life as a grocer's daughter from Grantham and rose to become Prime Minister - all by her own merit and hard work. I cherish the accomplishments of Margaret Thatcher and will always count her as one of my role models.
- Sarah Palin http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin?v=app_2347471856&viewas=0
While she is clearly drawing a comparison it is difficult to imagine a British politician going to such lengths to praise an Australian PM 2 decades out of office.
I hadn't realised that the Brighton bombing took place on the day before Mrs Thatcher's birthday ...
ReplyDeleteWell, happy birthday to her. I hope she sees many more days after this, and that they are all joyful and fulfilling ones.
Of course Iain :D
ReplyDeleteI feel sick.
ReplyDeleteSeconded!!
ReplyDeleteInclude me in.
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on your definition of 'our times'
ReplyDeleteI would accept 'your times' but as 'our' includes myself, I am afraid whilst I have the greatest of admiration for Baroness Thatcher. The greatest woman prime minister,and patriot, of our times but I must say that Sir Winston Churchill must rank as the greatest prime minister and patriot of 'our times'
Happy Birthday Baroness Thatcher. The woman who put the GREAT back into Great Britain, to then watch as she was stabbed in the back by 'colleagues' and witness a labour administration remove the 'great' once again.
Where is our new Winnie or Maggie?
Good man. Happy Birthday Mrs T.
ReplyDeleteA person calling himself 'Gandhi' said, 'I feel sick.'
ReplyDeleteYou aren't Ganhdhi, you vainglorious idiot.
Happy Birthday, Lady T.
On behalf of us all...? Please no.
ReplyDeleteOh Dear-The Cult of The Personality
ReplyDeleteand so say all of us
ReplyDeleteA very happy birthday Maggie, you are the best Prime Minister of my liftime.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy many more birthdays.
I honour you.
John F in Aberdeen
Happy birthday Maggie!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't that bothered by her election in '79 as Labour and Conservative were in and out like fiddlers' elbows.
ReplyDeleteI was rattled by her election in 1983 and furious when she made it a third time in 1987.
Socialist, that was me.
But now I see the rank greed and hypocrisy of people denouncing the 1980s as "greedy" and Thatcher as vile whilst gorging on materialism to an extent unimaginable in the 1980s.
I see the rank greed and hypocrisy of people who call the 1980s "uncaring", totally forgetting the political activists of that decade, and stand by whilst New Labour does far worse.
And I realise in retrospect that Thatcher had integrity, although I can never agree with her approach.
She makes today's politicians seem shabbier than ever.
So yes, happy birthday.
Watching the bombing video on c.h. brings back what an extraordinary person she is.
ReplyDeleteSince her, we know we can do it.
I definitely think a Bank Holiday will be in order - necessary, in fact - on the day after she dies to commemorate her life and all she did.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find history judges Mr Blair as the greatest Prime Minister of our times.
ReplyDeleteBut many happy returns to Mrs T anyway.
Not in my name.
ReplyDeletePossibly the most devisive politicians of my lifetime. It was Thatcherism that created the "me first" culture which we see to our cost today.
ReplyDeleteThat said, she was a *leader* rather than a follower and she stood up for the things which she believed in and you have to admire her for that, even if you didn't like her politics.
So Happy Birthday Maggie. I hope you are proud of the society you helped to create.
On behalf of Conservative students everywhere, Happy Birthday Lady Thatcher and many Happy Returns.
ReplyDeleteGod bless ya, girl!
Agreed and seconded, Iain!
ReplyDeleteCongratulaions and many happy returns to the Iron Lady. If ever we needed you or an equivalent, now is the time.
ReplyDeleteShe was probably the one person who most inspired me to become politically active.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11.51 - hiya Alistair - how's the jogging?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree less with Never Forget's analysis. In what way did Lady T create a "me first" culture? She sought to move responsibility from the state to the individual and that needs re-inforcing as David Cameron pointed out in his conference speech - not reversing. What we are seeing now is a chronic failure of regulation. Brown designed the FSA - he was happy to collude with the City in the high risk activity that has cost us so dear because it helped fund his state expansionism and it fit with his arrogant fantasy that he could eradicate the economic cycle. For sure, Lady T made some tactical mistakes (e.g. community charge) but I think on the whole history is proving her right, not wrong. A creed of individual responsibility and accountability is about recognising that society starts with you and me. If we want things to get better we must all contribute. Who will make the sacrifices to put things right? Me first.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Lady Thatcher!
Certainly the greatest PM of MY lifetime. Maggie was a real leader and no-one since has been anywhere near worthy of stepping into her shoes.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Mrs T :)
Don't forget she caused global warming, world famine, the AIDS epidemic, the current collapse of our financial system, and also greediness(a bit ironic as she was the daughter of a Rotarian). I jest. Happy birthday Mrs T.
ReplyDeleteThat 9 min clip on u tube says it all!
ReplyDeleteWhat a LADY.
I was less than a year old when the Brighton Bombing happened but watching the video of its effects and her response to it I found myself incredibly moved. I didn't realise either it was just before her birthday.
ReplyDeleteMany happy returns to her, and I hope she has a long and happy time still ahead of her.
When you publish photos of yourself in mid-80s cavortings, you remind us of how narrow is your perspective of "our times".
ReplyDeleteSince "my times" go back to the first Churchill administration, and my memories just about include Clem Attlee, I sense real comparisons for "greatest".
By the same standards of merit, Norwich City is the finest football team in the land ... in the First Division.
She may have had her faults but she was worlds ahead of anything we have had since (especially the here and now). May I wish Lady Thatcher all the very best on her Birthday and may she have many more. She is well respected..
ReplyDeleteNot on my behalf you can't. No way....
ReplyDeleteIndeed many happy returns indeed. I look forward to celebrating her 90th. Which will be a red letter year as I will be celebrating my 65th.
ReplyDeleteMaria has a point - just look at the shabby materialistic Labour MPs - screaming like stuck pigs. How J.Smith had the bare faces effrontery to make the shallow 'apology' that she did beggars belief. Equally appalling were the 'hear hears' that it received from the labour benches.
May she live a thousand years in health and vitality.
ReplyDeleteA light in the murky world of politics.
I like Maggie because she continues to annoy the Guardian-reading lefties. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly can Iain
ReplyDelete"A very happy birthday Maggie, you are the best Prime Minister of my lifetime."
ReplyDeleteSeconded.
Many Happy Returns Mrs T.
The greatest peacetime Prime Minister of the twentieth century, to whom we all (and that includes the nay-sayers) owe so much.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Lady Thatcher.
Happy birthday,I hope she lives to see the country she loves so much and served so well freed once again from the tyranny of socialism.
ReplyDeleteShe economically has a good story to tell but in terms of Irish affairs, she was a disasterous PM and set back peace for years and the only people who think she contributed anything to Ireland are those who did not live there.
ReplyDeleteBut at the end of the day she is now an old lady now so.
Hear Hear Iain.
ReplyDeleteI hope Mr Cameron can take some inspiration from her - we need it desperately.
We all salute her. I joined the Party the week she became leader, aged 18. I do not think I would still be here in the UK if it hadn't been for what she did to put the country on its feet - a legacy that all her successors so far may have frittered away to varying degrees but have not yet been able to destroy.
ReplyDeleteShe did not seem to be at the Brighton commemoration service yesterday, which probably means she is not too well as I am sure it must have taken wild horses to have stopped her. So - keep your strength up and remember that there are legions of us who will never forget what you did for your country. It's a pity she probably won't read this but maybe a friend or acquaintance can give her some choice snippets?
Interesting to note that her birthday is only 4 days later than David Cameron's. I do not usually "do" star signs, but is this a hopeful conjunction? A sign that when his leadership metal is fully tested, he may also pass the sternest of tests?
I would like to extend warm birthday wishes to Margaret Thatcher today. Baroness Thatcher continues to remain a role model to many people, particularly women, around the world. Her career is a collection of "firsts." She was the youngest female Conservative Party member to stand for election in history, she was the first woman to hold the title Leader of the Opposition, and she was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteAs Prime Minister, she took an active role in defending economic freedom and democratic ideals. Her push to privatize British industry and lower tax rates led to a substantial economic expansion in the United Kingdom. She was just as influential in foreign policy. Along with President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Thatcher recognized the evil of Communism and worked tirelessly to erode the power and influence of the Soviet Union.
Her life and career serve as a blueprint for overcoming the odds and challenging the "status quo." She started life as a grocer's daughter from Grantham and rose to become Prime Minister - all by her own merit and hard work. I cherish the accomplishments of Margaret Thatcher and will always count her as one of my role models.
- Sarah Palin
http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin?v=app_2347471856&viewas=0
While she is clearly drawing a comparison it is difficult to imagine a British politician going to such lengths to praise an Australian PM 2 decades out of office.