Wiz'n'Ton

Woodlea my friend - this one will run and run. As an 'apres' Thatcherite I feel that I represent many Brits who right now know little if not nothing of the Thatcherite/ early Major years. In my eyes TB has done a great job. He ensured I had a job, and he educated my wife to a standard where she could teach others. In other areas he may be lacking - but so far the UK has voted in his favour and I would have to agree.

We have HEARD of all the problems and disgrace of the previous Conservative governement (but only through popular films like 'Brassed Off' and 'Billy Elliott') but we never actually saw it.

My parents never talked to me about their stuggle against the rise in interest rates in the late 80's and 90's, and the subsequent recession where the words 'negative equity' were the death nell of individuals hopes and dreams of self improvement.

I only really appreciate these problems now that I am in NZ where I am paying a third as much again as in the UK on a mortgage.

But for me it is worth it.

Let's see if GB himself can bring the GB back into GREAT BRITAIN. I am an interested onlooker.

Woodlea

You're not much younger than me!! But you wouldn't remember the seventies - the eighties were a golden age in comparison.

And as one of those who got their degree in the eighties and has had to watch the stream of idiots with degrees entering industry since then I have to question whether TB did educate your good wife to a standard that she could teach others? No offence at all meant in this - but pass rates have risen since the mid eighties and graduates can't even spell.

Britain was dumbed down in the nineties by TB and the bloody do-good PC-bastard brigade. So they think they got a good education - but they didn't the UK education system declined compared to the rest of the world.

Rant over...

julesnye

How can you tell when a politician is lying?????



His lips are moving!!

Wiz'n'Ton

Rant over? Are you having a laugh? You focus a point at my wife and expect me to stand back and watch?

Since my wife graduated in the UK - in primary teaching - she was been subject to constant appraisal, constant assessment to her and the children she taught, along with comparison with other schools in the area who may have more or less resources.

Ultimately, her school was given a grade that related to their performace - something that had long been missing.

Here in NZ the UK curriculum system is recognised as a significant step forward in the teaching of numeracy and literacy to the children of primary age here in NZ.

I really do see where you are coming from regarding the GRADUATE programmes that are being offered to UK and overseas students in England, but ultimately that is down to funding - and who do we need to thank for that following the cutting of student, graduate and university funding over the past 7 years....

... Mr G B

Oh dear...

Nisey

In his speech before he entered no 10 to take over, he said that there were going to be significant changes, better education, better healthcare, they were going to listen to the people and what they want....... so what have they been doing as a party for the last 10 years then....?

julesnye

not listening

Wiz'n'Ton

I saw the same sound bite here on the TV News in ChCh and asked myself the same question. Answer - same old same old - just with less personality than John Major...

...Oh dear...

Nisey

Personally he makes my skin crawl............so disingenuous(?sp)

Not that I expect much from our politicians but .............. wheres the creeped out smiley when you need one.

We're doomed.............i'm so out of here.......... three weeks today

justinthyme

My son, but he's in Auckland.

Maz

Then pigs really can fly!

Avid

The fighting may have stopped in 1945 but in many ways WWII didn't finish in the UK until somewhere in the mid 1970's...that's when it felt like 'rationing' really did come to an end

Thatcher was socially divisive but, as I write with clenched teeth, she at least tried to shake things up a bit....

As for education it could be said to have been 'dumbed down' or it could be 'truly available to all' depending on how you look at it. I went to college in the days when less than 10% of the population did , nowadays footballers answer 'go to university' when asked 'What would you have done if you hadn't been a footballer'? Amazing, isn't it?

Hard as it is to believe sometimes we, as 'average people', are living in the best world imaginable. Things really have never been so good. Which, of course, explains why people complain so much!

brussels_sprout

Golden legacy, my Ar**, the main legacy is the great social problems that her policies started, the drug addiction and crime, the general NASTINESS !
The inept economic theories causing mass unemployment and USING the State (Southern police) to close down Northern industries and depopulating communities PURELY OUT OF SPITE to bash the unions that had brought down the last Tory government ! Using government agents to infiltrate democratically elected Unions (why do they never infiltrate company Board meetings ?)
Centralising the country on London and finance(culminating in multi-millionaire private equity bosses paying less tax than cleaners), ruining the country's transport infrastructure (all the train accidents), selling off school fields (why is Britain obesity capital of Europe now), grrrr
But hey, we got out

justinthyme

Hopefully the new PM might move Labour back towards it's roots, at least a little, and the electorate may actually get something a little closer to that which they probably voted for.

Sadly Blair was no more than a conservative in NuLabour clothing. And a fairly right wing one at that!

Boopy

Oh you are a seriously lot. I was commenting on how many was interested in NZ forum, and you lot turned it into a political debate.

Think I'll have a double vodka - kiwi style