doubled VAT to reduce inflation but in doing so destroyed domestic manufacturing and set the stage for mass home repossessions and rises in costs of social housing creating both the economic issues Britain has over diminishing exports and a housing crisis
created a tax to vote, that disproportionately targeted poorer people, creating the worst riots in history
introduced privatization to the health care system which is still being felt today
section 28: it was illegal to mention homosexuality
reclassified IRA prisoners of war as criminals so they no longer were treated as captives in war but as offenders of the law, as a result 10 of them voluntarily starved themselves to death, causing their leader to get elected to parliament from his prison cell, and invoked an intervention by the Pope and the EU human rights commission, and further exacerbated the troubles
destruction of many traditional ways of life in areas of the country for laborers and trade unionists

[–] killeronthecorner@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

She also infamously took free milk away from schools

[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Not that I care about being fair to Thatcher, but she wasn't the first.

The milk thing can be summarized as such:

1906, kids are malnourished, let's give them milk - some counties (LEAs but im trying to translate here) refused
1930, a bunch of counties are still refusing, they are encouraged
1945, schools are forced to give all children under 18 1/3 pint of milk a day (same government as founded the NHS btw)
1968 Harold Wilson's Labour govt cut this to under 11 years old
1971 Edward Heath instructs Thatcher (then Education Secretary) to cut it to under 7 years old, she does, many schools pay for the milk themselves instead
1977 the EU allows for extra funding to be claimed on 7-18 year olds for milk if they are malnourished
1978 uk provided funding back to up to 12 year olds if their families were on government assistance
1979 Thatcher elected
1980 widened the subsidies for milk again
1986 narrowed to only government assistance families again
1995 it was cut again now to children 5 and under where it remains today
1997 Blair elected, program for healthy school meals is started shifting the focus from "milk" to all food and drink.
1999 report claims children eat unhealthier than they did in 1950
2001 Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver starts his School Dinners Campaign

[–] killeronthecorner@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Actually interesting and factual. Thanks, I didn't know

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago

and the whole section 28 thing

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 year ago

This is an excellent list of specific examples, but I think it fails to really capture the overall tone of Thatcher's leadership.

I don't think it is in any way an exaggeration to describe her government as fascist. Her rhetoric leaned heavily on nationalism. She spoke glowingly of the British empire, dehamunized the Irish, and treated the working class an enemy to be defeated. Her MPs spoke openly of their desire to see queer people eradicated. Under Thatcher policing in Britain became open warfare. She endorsed and encouraged every vile and base instinct of her conservative base. To describe her as the British Donald Trump only fails in one aspect; unlike Trump, she was often terrifyingly competent.

[–] PrivateNoob@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

TAX TO VOTE? Okay that made me actually LOL. Imagine not just thinking about this idea, but even implementing it. Hilarious.

[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 year ago

to be fair, it wasn't literally that (but it kinda was)

basically instead of taxing you based on where you lived or what you earned, it was changed based on "you existing" (ie practically this meant you were registered to vote, and/or rented a property or other legal mechanism determining you address, but the most common one being voter registration).

so in order to dodge the tax people had to keep moving house or not register to vote and instead of voting... rioted.

[–] Zaddy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

So this is the game plan that the government is using in the United States. At least I know what's to come, kinda hoping they were gonna be more original in the downfall of the US.

[–] zerofk@lemm.ee 39 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

She had a very tough and uncompromising stance on most things, including Northern Ireland and the Troubles. Rather than seek compromise, she increased the military presence there, which many believe exacerbated and prolonged the situation.

It is, of course, much more complex than this, but her policies regarding Northern Ireland are a large factor in why she is not remembered fondly by many Irish.

[–] dingleberry@discuss.tchncs.de 33 points 1 year ago

Breathe.

[–] Satelllliiiiiiiteeee@kbin.social 33 points 1 year ago

How much time do you have?

[–] droans@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

She begged the USSR to absorb East Germany because she thought that German reunification would lead to another Hitler situation.