Saviour Brown

[When Skies Are Grey]

Well I am sure your words are of great comfort to those who very fabric of society was desimated by the Iron Lady....the prime concern of a government is to look after the people who vote for them. Which in a way is what that conservative government did...looked after its own. Creating a class divided country in the process.

 

Its not surprising that we have nothing that the rest of the world wants when our primary industries have been destroyed.

[simon]

We really were the sick man of Europe in those days

It's all relative though. West Germany was still occupied by the Americans and had come close to something like civil war. France was largely a rural peasant community (with many of the farms abandoned during that period). Portugal was in a permanent state of revolution. Spain was a demi - Fascist dictatorship (water and electricity was often only available for a few hours each day). Etc.

 

Unlike France, German and Italy -- Britain hadn't been rebuilt and modernised with free American money. Our ancient industries were grinding to a halt. Not only because of the unions - or because the workers were demanding too much money. Much of British industry had reached the end of its useful life.

 

People often say that Mrs Thatcher "stripped out the dead wood" of British industry. But many manufacturing companies which depended on export trade were forced to close during the early 1980s as a direct result of an exchange rates crisis - caused by mis management of the economy.

 

Liverpool had died because of containerisation. Certainly it was an inevitable shift - but it was also inevitable that this would result in social unrest. Ditto the closure of much of the rest of undustry.

 

There's a bloke in Ramsey with a Vanden - Plas (BMC) Allegro (like a normal Allegro but with a Rolls Royce styled front and trims). Very 70s. It should be in a museum.

 

I liked the 1970s.

[Ripsaw]

Tha BBC has a section called On This Day.

 

The Winter od Discontent features on the page for

22 Jan '79 (includes a 48sec video file from the news).

 

I was 11 in early 1979 and can recall** coming home from school in the knowledge that at 8pm (for example) there were going to be black outs due to strike action.

 

I recall schools closing, hospitals refusing non emergencies etc.

 

At the time I wasn't fully aware of the reasons why all these things were taking place. I can honestly say though with hindsight, that the Labour Party of the 70's were a bunch of no hopers.

 

**No I can not... See Simon's and my next post...

[simon]

All the power cuts I remember were under Edward Heath's Conservative government during the first national miners strike.

 

I can't remember any power cuts under a Labour government - which resulted from disputes.

 

Not that I'm supporting 1970s Labour.

 

That said the Callaghan government was attempting to introduce radical economic reform and union legislation. It was brought down by the left wing.

[Ripsaw]

My apologies then. Maybe I was younger for the blackouts, there definately were some. I don't recall eating my tea by candlelight, but *if* I recall correctly, they were timed to cause maximum disruption.

 

 

Found a piece...

 

1974

The country was in the middle of an energy crisis prompted by rising oil prices and strike action by train drivers, power engineers and miners. The Government had ordered a three-day week, petrol ration coupons and, most dramatic of all, a ban on any broadcasting beyond 10.30pm. Schedules had been cut to pieces, with BBC2 being so badly hit that some nights the channel only opened for three hours before closing again.

 

That puts me at age 7.

[Speckled Frost]

Besides the Iraq fiasco it's diffculty to really say how this government has done.

On the face of it everything seems okay, with slight improvements in some public services and a relatively healthy economy but with all the spin, stealth taxes and rejigging of finances it's really difficult to say.

Also, people can borrow much more which blurs their true affluency and future quaility of life.

 

But the Callaghan and Thatcher governments were a mess.

 

We talk of the needless Iraq war but I seem to remember the Falklands war could have been avoided but Thatcher was struggling in the pols at the time.

[simon]

Yep. It was the miner's strike which brought down the Heath Conservative government in 1974. IIRC the powercuts were caused by the shortage of coal which resulted.

 

Though there must have been other power cuts.

 

As a child I loved the powercuts. Torches. Candles. It was all very exciting.

 

Apparently the birth rate went up as a result. Nothing else to do.

 

Much later, and certainly under Labour, I remember being very annoyed when the second half of a series of Saphire and Steel was not screened because ITV was on strike.

[The Old Git]

We talk of the needless Iraq war but I seem to remember the Falklands war could have been avoided.

 

 

I'm not too sure how. Didn't the "Argies" invade and occupy what is a British Crown Dependancy, i.e. similar status to the Isle of Man? I don't think the govt could just sit back and do nothing

[Speckled Frost]

Old Git, I think there was a diplomatic solution available prior to the invasion.

It's all very sketchy so I might be wrong.

[Ripsaw]

I love the forums when consecutive posts can contain...

I seem to remember the Falklands war could have been avoided

I remember being very annoyed when the second half of a series of Saphire and Steel was not screened because ITV was on strike