Britain's First Anti-British Government - The Blair Years...

[MrBibs]

My view is Thatcher did a lot more damage to us than Blair,

Sold all our assets off cheap (making many a fast buck for the spivs in the process) and left us only capable of holding doors open for each other. What have we got to show for the one-off massive windfall from North Sea oil?

[Mr Mosquito]

I think your analysis of Friedman's ideas is completely wrong. He didn't specifically apply his monetary theory to restricting the money supply, it is simply that this was the issue of the day as inflation was rampant. In fact he is on record as saying that the US Gov't could have brought the country out of recession much sooner in the thirties by increasing the money supply. Quantitative easing is a direct extension of Friedman's ideas.

....the U.S. also brought down unemployment via Naziesque public works projects during the 1930s.

Anyway, I'm really impressed with the well argued viewpoints of contributors to this thread. With regard to Old Labour and Conservative governments 1978-1997, it's my view that the 'Old' Labour Party had to go to the IMF 'cap in hand' in 1978. The IMF imposed supply side economics on that Labour government as a condition of the loan. When Thatcher got in in May 1979 she merely continued to observe this IMF loan condition and added sell offs of state industries to raise funds - also pleasing to the IMF. Thatcher, then Major, was also under pressure from the hopelessly corrupt and criminal led EEC/EU project to sell our profitable state industries so they could eventually end up under French control - water companies, electricity, Severn Bridges - to name but a few - are now owned by the French.

As for a comparison between Thatcher and Blair.......blimey, Blair has done far more damage to the sovereignty of this country by selling us down the river of EU subjugation lock stock and barrel. Blair is an out and out traitor to England and in more enlightened times he would have been hung for his High Treason. As for Thatcher, a well meaning woman but a total cow to Trades Unionists - especially the miners. You could get a YOP or YTS course as an unemployed youth under Thatcher, the youth of today have been left high and dry with nothing. 'New' Labour - give me the genuine EEC hating Old Labour or the EU hating right wing of the Tory Party anyday.