#margaret-thatcher

#margaret-thatcher

The bronze statue of Margaret Thatcher by the sculptor Douglas Jennings has a rating of 2.8 out of five on Google Maps. Although curiously, none of the reviewers seems to have overly preoccupied themselves with the quality of the craftsmanship or the fidelity of the likeness. One of the most important PMs this country ever had, writes one. It's a public toilet but there's nowhere to wash your hands, writes another.

On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic 's David Frum opens with observations about the ongoing government shutdown, how it could be a strategic mistake for Republicans, and why this political standoff is best understood as a "quasi-election" about the rule of law itself. Then Frum is joined by Lord Charles Moore, the authorized biographer of Margaret Thatcher, to mark the centenary of her birth.

Thatcher's right-to-buy scheme has cost UK taxpayers almost 200bn and contributed significantly to the housing crisis by reducing the stock of affordable housing.

U-turns in politics are viewed negatively because they suggest indecision, yet they can also reflect an adaptation to new information and changing circumstances.