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Well I hope now we can debate some of those issues raised.
This is not to pick on one party, but its hard to avoid mentioning who did it, without mentioning them, and if it were a labour person i would be naming in the same way.
So to take on some of the points DAVE1 and BARRYW Points as there is agreement.
UNIONS
The car industry at the time of the strikes over 1o minute tea breaks etc were a joke and showed how unions had got to strong, even those of us heavily involved
in trade unions were unhappy at the way things were.
But things did move on, and working for a large part of life in a nationalised industry, I have to say there was room for improvement, nationalisation wasnt the answer, but nor is throwing millions into private companies to run them either.
there has to be a middle ground, where the public get a public service, at a price they can offord, and able to access.
Maggie made some good points on unions but like all governmrents before her(and after) with big majorities, she went to far, and sadly many workers now suffer because of it.
Making unions ballot before industrial action was one, instead of 8 people in a room deciding(and remember i say this as an active trade unionist)
I recall in my early days in the union attending the Town Hall when the then, National Union of Railwaymen, sent down the executive member to tell everyone we were on strike in the morning, it was challenged, but those days the room weas full of people ready to walk out.
But since the Maggie days the union then reformed and renamed R.M.T. ballots on every strike, and even prior to one dispute i was asked to come out on strike to join the NUM on a trade union day , it was poorly arranged by the TUC and the RMT certainly when i asked them about the legallity said its a personal choice thing, so that 1 fell flat as i refused to be part.
Over the years I have/will support the NUM but it needs to be done in an organised/legal way.
On the other side of things, having balloted all the RMT members on another issue and support for industrial action it was agreed to have a 2 day dispute.
Whilst out on the picket line we got to hear the rail company was in the high court trying to stop the dispute,(yet negotiations could have gone on but they became worse) remember the RMT and al unions were forced to give the company 7 days notice of any dispute.
So I do believe Maggie did well to change some unions, but im afraid she went to far and now workers have great difficulty being represented because of the unfair playing field in place which favours the employer.
As i said Blair had chances to change things to make it a fairer industrial relations but when i heard him speak in Gravesend and he was asked his views on trade unions, he replied, if you think there bad, they wont be improved.
Then we had PRESCOTT who in a full westminster hall tell all the railway people present that when labour gets in they will re nationalise the railways, to loud applause, whether you believe thats the best route or not, its the promise he made, as soon as in power i wrote to him and many other Ministers, asking when its to happen, and was told they couldnt afford to do it, dont forget at the time we had a labour team that were saying they were against privatisation!!!!!!!!
What about the classic error of the year?????????????????????
The sheffield rally when Kinnock invited all the celebrities along to a rally the day before the general election, i told my party hes just lostt labour the election the plonker!!
but he had his good side to, remember that famous speech when he took on Derek Hatton the lefty who was sacking his workers, kinnock was the first real leader to start the move to take on militant who had infiltrated the labour party(this is where Sid and I will probably disagree)
it needed to be done, you had to be in the party at the time to see how bad it was maybe more on that on another posting!!!
N.H.S.
My concern on theN HS is that there will be a move towards, if you can afford to pay you will get better treatment than someone with nowt.
and the NHS will slowly be run down, and you get medical treatment only if you can pay.
THERE are big concerns over the NHS and it does need reform, but just privatising everything that moves isnt the answer.
this i believe is another big debate in itself.
GREAT BRITAIN
Gary I think those days have long gone, but this started when maggie started all those reforms, and we saw both parents out to work, whilst children were left to fend for themselves.
giving out DHSS dosh without some kind of thought is another big issue, but does/will affect our great britain status.
So I hope this can be taken as one of unbiased viewpoint, and healthy debate