Mr McGrath, Your first paragraph seems to be aimed a the electoral system rather than at thatcher, IMHO I abhore proportional represention. (if you want to talk about that lets start another thread).

The first part of your second paragraph conveniantly ignores the state of the country at the time It was accepted by the electorate that the unions were tearing the country apart and thats why she got voted in (yes I do know I'm simplfying the situation but so are you)From a historical perspective one could say that overwhelming failure of the labour goverments to control the unions led to thatcherism.

As for the second part, your view is a valid one from your political stance, I presume you lower the same charges at the door at Kinnock, Smith and Blair during Labour's transitional period and one might equally say that the modernisation of the Labour Party to become New Labour and the reaction to this process from my party could also lead to it's eventual downfall (especially if we do not regain the centre ground.) The liberals got stuffed in the thirties 'cos (economics aside) the labour party took half it's policies and the tories took the other half effectivly marginalising them.

As for your comment about Europe being nonsense I presume you mean the political posturing and not the issues, in which case I agree with you that it's nonsense. I also agree with you that is silly to have two conservative parties which is why I am fighting to make sure that we are the only tories.

There can be only one...

Cllr