LEAVE the Conservative Party and save your country!
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I went to see who the Telegraph was leading on for the Tory Leadership election.
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You see it a different way to me. I see no issue with looking to repeat or build on past successes.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
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That's fine, but it was a response to a particular set of circumstances in the late 70s. Those circumstances don't and can't exist again. We've already made that transition from an outdated manufacturing economy to a services economy, so we can't do it again. Thatcher was also very socially conservative by today's standards. It would be weird to go back to that.
There's also the small matter of the party heading in the opposite direction for the last 8 years so there's some way to go to even get back to a Cameron Osborne version of conservatism.
A lot of Thatcher fans also forget that she'd almost blown it before Argentina invaded the Falklands. Mind you, Milei is probably bonkers enough to invade the Falklands so...
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Are you a tad bit concerned that there haven't been any fresh ideas or new talent from the Conservatives for nearly half a century?
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I didn't say that.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Circumstances change but certain things can still be applied to solve current problems.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
It would be more convincing if you backed the kind of action she did.
After all, she settled a whole host of union disputes by agreeing to pay rises in order to stop strikes.
She was in favour of membership of the European Single Market and Customs Union
She was keen on privatising the British railways, rather than owning them piecemeal.
She supported various international organisations that were reseraching climate change, such as the Centre for Climate Research and Prediction.
She was happy to close uncompetitive mines, rather than give government grants to reopen them (!).
What about that reflects anything the Conservative gov't did between 2010 and 2024?
Do you really think Thatcher would have spent billions paying for people's gas bills because of a war? Do you really think she would be opposing means testing benefits? Come off it
The reality is, Thatcher would have seen the threats like Climate Change and rather than burry her head in the sand in some populist move she'd probably have done something about it.
I'm not an enormous fan, but this idea somehow that current conservatism is anything like Thatcherism is beyond a joke.
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There are some similarities
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It's this sort reaction that makes me think she will be a good choice.
Given you're some sort born again leftie (having voted Labour at the last GE), what do you think to judging Starmer now based on when he was Corbyns bag carrier?
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Just because they say they like Thatcher doesn't mean they actually enact the same policies she did/ would have.
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Badenoch is like all the other prominent Tory MP's over the last few years, can't take any responsibility for her actions, repeatedly makes stuff up and then when called out on it deflects and turns the blame around on to her questioner. Look at her track record with journalists over the last few years.
Love or Loathe Thatcher, she absolutely stood by her convictions and would argue the merits of her decisions frankly with anyone. I don't see a single person in the Tory leadership race who can make a similar claim around ownership of their decisions.
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That's a reaction to you, not Badenoch, Stevo.
Have you thought about running yourself? There's bound to be another leadership contest in a year of two.
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I may be wrong but I also don't recall her Governments being massively anti-immigration
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Does that make Thatcher Ted Heath's bag carrier?
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
I think Stevo just thinks 1979 Thatcher is like some kind of Top Trump that will magically bring back those 'glory days' regardless of all the privatised sewage that has flowed under the bridge since then.
The only parallel I see between Thatcher and Badenoch is that they are both women. Other than that, not so much, and Badenoch would, I suspect, be welcomed by Labour, as she cannot escape the stink of the last government, however belligerent she makes herself out to be.
Anyway, whoever it is is going to be pretty irrelevant for a while yet.
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I can't decide if Jenrick or Badenoch would be worse for the Conservatives. Badenoch would probably survive a bit longer, is that good or bad?
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It’s telling and bothersome that the moment Patel starts talking some sense, she’s out.
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They are both from STEM backgrounds, although I'm not sure that actually makes any difference.
Given most millennials either do not give a crap about Thatcher, or have been raised to actively hate her, I don't think invoking her is some kind of magic Trump card that will widen the conservatives appeal...
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What a revelation.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Nope, but it would be good to have someone with similar qualities.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Maggie certainly serviced Redcar and the NE England so well, so I can feel your warmth...
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Indeed. Can't make the connection with Badenoch though. Thatcher was just on a different planet in terms of political operation and getting things done.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
If you listen to the Telegraph podcasts about each of the potential leaders they do indeed suggest she us the closest to a modern day Thatcher.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
I suppose one of them must be more like (or less unlike) Thatcher than the others.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition1 -
Its all relative.
In my house, I am the closest to being a modern day Albert Einstein.
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I still think a populist led Tory party will win the next election. We've seen big political swings from left to right back and forth in many Western democracies and we have seen a growth in populism.
There may not be a market for US style Christian fundamentalist politics but low immigration, anti self gender identification type policies appeal broadly.
Add in a dash of patriotism and in Badenoch's case a pretty safe defence against charges of racism and that's a decent base to fight from. Labour have a big majority and a lot of new MPs, a lot who will have bought into woke ideology (I think that can be used in a non pejorative way now), bought into spending more and bought into pro palestine all of which could make the party open to internal division and provide ammunition for opponents. They really need to turn the economy round.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Meh, populism generally relies on a bit of a cult figure who can generate sufficient support to win under whatever electoral system.
Badenoch doesn't have the same star power as a Trump or a Johnson.
Potentially, if Farage could get Tory leadership, there's a route to the cult of personality type success, but then he loses his "outsider" appeal.
Plus Starmer just has to lower immigration to slightly less than record levels and he can rightfully claim to be tougher on immigration than the Tories.
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How on earth do low immigration and "anti self gender identification type policies" (whatever TF that is) and a dash of patriotism turn the economy round?
That's at best a Twitter bio, not a vision for running a country
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
