But of course "my politics are better than yours" - and a hell of a lot better than those of those bastards in power! (Apply to any Government since Thatcher came to power!)

Politics is (or was!) about conviction . . . The difficulty is accepting that SOMETIMES agreement and even friendship can transcend acute political differences. And our adversarial political system makes it far worse.

As for Thatcher - IMO she was the greatest force for evil ever to have been inflicted upon this great nation. Which isn't a personal attack on her (though I'll happily indulge in that sport, given half a chance) but an appraisal of her effect. Far, far worse than Eunuch Powell , even! Also, contrary to how some see it, cllr's appears to me to be the first deliberately provocative article in this thread.

I recall Steeleye Span opening their set at Bracknell Folk Festival, during the miner's strike, with Blackleg Miner. Which certainly offended some of the audience. Damn good thing, too, given the bais shown in reporting of events of that period. I also recall a tale of a girl, the daughter of a miner and then attending Exeter University, whose life was made so miserable by right-wing students that she came very close to abandoning her studies . . A song may offend, but in most circumstances that's a pretty mild action against those who are offended (who can always leave).

G.