Absolutely correct in every respect, Labour were unelectable under Callaghan, Foot and Kinnock.

How is that a 'fact' when the reported figures were around 3 million? I think you need to take a look in a dictionary to establish the definition of the word 'fact'. The unemployment figures already stood at around 1.7 million when Thatcher took office so she didn't 'treble' the number and nor was she responsible for 3 million being unemployed.

The only person in this conversation getting at all worked up is you, cockle. I was merely pointing out the staggering inaccuracy of your comparison.

Incidentally, what kind of guy am I?

Correct. Although I still maintain that Blair would never have been elected without the work that Kinnock put in to sort out the party.

The mob, great! I've got an idea. Get the beer and sandwiches on Harold. Why don't you lot get yourselves together and form a union, then you can spout garbage all day long to each other.

I should also add that the Tories were unelectable under Hague, Smith and Howard even though their policies have not changed one jot since '97.

With a mellowing of the years I am coming to like Major though - heard him on a radio program over Easter speaking for an hour on one of his specialist subjects The Edwardian Music Hall featuring his father and step mother - a fascinating hour it was.

Being drunk before dark is not an endearing trait.

The reason why i asked knuckles is fairly simple, and really not offensive at all. I was genuinely interested in what it was like serving in the armed forces as a women or homosexual under Thatcher.

I dont know why they got upset about that, i cant be the first person to ask them about it. Its an interesting story.

So when Thatcher allows social housing to be sold off and not replaced, she's not to blame because subsequent governments failed to reverse the policy, but when she substantially increases the number of unemployed left by the previous government she's not responsible for that either? I get it now - she can't be expected to have reduced unemployment because of the mess left by the previous government, but subsequent Labour governments could of course have been expected to reverse the damage caused by her flawed policies. Makes perfect sense, that.

Personally, I had no hate left when Major took over.
My quota had all been used up with what had gone before.

Logic has never been that popular with right-leaning folk.

He deserves a great deal of credit for his approach to the Northern Ireland situation. Compare Thatcher's approach to that of Major – and ask if we're all not so much better off now.

With respect, IIRC, Saints Fan is also a bit – y'know – religious.

Weller's vote Conservative rhetoric was something I didn't really understand but I was 12 when Thatcher came into power. The following years politicised me, even though I didn't understand all that either and still don't claim to but I can see why Weller said it now

Actually, I'm not. I'm agnostic. But I am interested in religions and religious belief, among all sorts of other things that I am interested in.