Maggie Thatcher

So for the past day and a half I've been avoiding the news, I only vaguely remember much of what Thatcher did, I was too young. I was going to say her policies never affected me but that isn't true, her policies from when she was in power still reverberate today. My problem isn't so much with Thatcher, although I agree she was some piece of work, but more with the mawkish infatuation we're supposed to have with people who in life we despised but are told to forgive and revere in death.

I know you're not in the least bit interested but I'll let you into a secret, the first political party I ever voted for was the Tories in 1992, you'll have to forgive me, it was a long time ago and I think I may have cheated too because I wasn't quite 18 either. The only main stream party, and I include the SNP in that category, I've never voted for is Labour.

When I was young I tended to support the Tories, I thought they were for self-reliance and personal independence, I always thought you were responsible for your own destiny, ironically the same party I thought extolled that notion was also keeping me from realising it. We all do daft things when we're young, we believe what we're told by our leaders and I did until the reign of Tony Blair, who I'd argue did as much harm to the country as Thatcher ever did, where she ruined the UK's ability to manufacture, Blair ruined our ability trust, however hesitantly, our politicians.

In death we are supposed to tacitly admit Thatcher was a good leader because she stuck to her guns, I'd say; fuck that. Thatcher stuck to her guns because she couldn't accept the notion she might be wrong, like most politicians she mistook taking hard decision and staying the course for strength; when in fact it was folly. Blair was the same and so is Cameron now. When they give one of their glassy-eyed speeches you're left thinking, 'they don't really believe that do they?' You have no choice but to assume they do, if half way through it they took a conspiratorial look into the camera lens and said; 'This is bullshit, but you understand why I'm saying it don't you?' Oddly, at least they be deploying a bit of honesty.

Thatcher's policies were wrong and I don't mourn her passing, I'm not angry about what she did though, it was years ago and we are we are now. I'm pissed off at being subjected to days of vomit-inducing faux admiration, in many regards its another curiosity of political life, when politicians retire or die they some how assume a mantle of statesmanlike gravitas that reality doesn't support because actually; they were a bit crap. Michael Heseltine or Menzies Campbell can still be heard droning on about one thing or the other and they're clearly talking a lot of shite. 

So we'll get a lot of Thatcher related rubbish on the telly and radio until her state-funded funeral takes place. I prefer not think of it as me paying for her funeral, more that I'm paying for an end to the relentless Thatcher documentaries on the television and radio - my preferred option is shit but less so than the reality, which is a microcosm of the Union as it is today.

We should be hoping for better.