Stigweard, Folkiedave, Backwoodsman, tell us all how great it was back in the 1970's - the three day week, the "social" contract, the power cuts, the backlog of people waiting to be buried, hospital porters deciding whether or not your complaint warranted admittance to hospital, the UK having to go cap in hand to the IMF - If you don't remember it I certainly do.

Tell us how much per day it cost the British Tax payer to keep those "Nationalised Industries" (White Elephants) running. But of course that was what you on the left call "Government Money" wasn't it. Tell us how much UK produced coal and steel cost per tonne, then explain how using it could keep British industry competitive. Sure initially there was high unemployment but that disappeared long ago, UK led Europe in terms of foreign investment, low inflation and low unemployment rates. Oh, and, oddly enough, if the country had gone for Poll Tax you'd have a far fairer local tax system in place now than the present Council Tax, its a pity that the political parties in the UK at the moment haven't the guts to admit it.

No the days of Trade Unions dictating to the elected Government of the UK are over, thank goodness.