Just because certain jobs disappear it doesn't mean others aren't created. She made absolutely no effort to provide alternative employment to the areas ravaged by the (albeit somewhat inevitable, eventually) losses of traditional industry. That's simply unforgivable.

 

Disagree

 

She created 'Enterprise Zones' where businesses were given massive incentives like tax breaks, heavily reduced or even free business rates and other benefits to set up in these enterprise zones, these zones were in many cases in poor areas (South Wales which saw the likes of Sony set up and Sunderland which saw the now incredibly successful Nissan factory set up), she also heavily cut income tax rates for high earners to encourage people to set up businesses.

 

It is not the job of governments to create jobs it is the job of the government to create the economic conditions where it is worthwhile creating a job or setting up a business and no one can deny that the 'enterprise culture' thrived under Maggie.

 

Was she perfect? no

Did she have her faults? yes

Did I agree with everything she did? no

 

But she made the best of extremely hard set of cards she dealt and had the drive and determination to carry out her vision.

edit.

Edited May 28, 201312 yr by Griff

Disagree

 

She created 'Enterprise Zones' where businesses were given massive incentives like tax breaks, heavily reduced or even free business rates and other benefits to set up in these enterprise zones, these zones were in many cases in poor areas (South Wales which saw the likes of Sony set up and Sunderland which saw the now incredibly successful Nissan factory set up), she also heavily cut income tax rates for high earners to encourage people to set up businesses.

 

It is not the job of governments to create jobs it is the job of the government to create the economic conditions where it is worthwhile creating a job or setting up a business and no one can deny that the 'enterprise culture' thrived under Maggie.

 

Was she perfect? no

Did she have her faults? yes

Did I agree with everything she did? no

 

But she made the best of extremely hard set of cards she dealt and had the drive and determination to carry out her vision.

The Enterprise Zones were actually far less of a solution than they were claimed to be - the headline figure of 63k jobs created (still nowhere near enough given how quickly unemployment was shooting up) but only 13k were new jobs rather than transfers - a fairly pathetic figure which the coalition have done well to undercut by approximately 13,000.

 

Before her, job creation was the job of the government. Infrastructure projects, a fairly government-led venture, are fantastic job creators - but under her and Major the way funding for local authorities (which she irreversibly mangled anyway) was awarded became more and more on a completely inefficient competition basis rather than the old needs test.

The Enterprise Zones were actually far less of a solution than they were claimed to be - the headline figure of 63k jobs created (still nowhere near enough given how quickly unemployment was shooting up) but only 13k were new jobs rather than transfers - a fairly pathetic figure which the coalition have done well to undercut by approximately 13,000.

 

Before her, job creation was the job of the government. Infrastructure projects, a fairly government-led venture, are fantastic job creators - but under her and Major the way funding for local authorities (which she irreversibly mangled anyway) was awarded became more and more on a completely inefficient competition basis rather than the old needs test.

 

There were infrastructure projects under Maggie

 

While much of it was planned before she took power the M25 opened under her watch and the widening of the M25 to 4 lanes was announced under Maggie so there were some infrastructure projects that she was involved in and invested in, I am sure there are others but the M25 immediately comes to mind.

So the only example you can think of was not actually initiated by her. And, I may be wrong, but I've a feeling the widening of the M25 was announced under Major.

 

Of course, to a large extent, building roads was one publicly funded initiative Thatcher approved of. However, she was less keen on building or refurbishing schools and hospitals, improving public transport or bringing the water distribution system up to scratch while it was in public hands.

The M25 isn't known for going through some particularly poverty stricken bits of the country, either.

RIP she's done a lot

I love how this thread is still active two months after she died.