In what was a none too subtle, indeed blatant, attempt to attract voters away from the fissiparous remains of the Conservative party, Starmer has taken quite a chance. It can be hazardous to venture behind enemy lines: he risks alienating traditional Labour voters, indeed whole communities, for whom the memory of the social scars of the 1980s is still very much present.
One ill-thought-out consequence of Thatcherite policy that is very much with us to this day is the housing crisis. Many people benefited from being able to buy council houses at knockdown prices. The problem is that social housing was not sufficiently replaced. Today, signs of homelessness are brushed aside by the likes of Suella Braverman, who evidently regards this as a lifestyle choice.
The damage to manufacturing industry was such that Mrs Thatcher embarked on a twofold rescue operation. Part one was to attract overseas investment, not least from the Japanese. The second was to cement our membership of the EU by encouraging the formation of the single market and becoming an enthusiastic participant.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]