Thatcher's legacy

Margaret Thatcher is dead. But the woman who was probably one of the most influential people after World War II, not only in the UK but in the world, lives on through her legacy. 

Summarize what Thatcher meant would be impossible in just a few words. Years after the Iron Lady left No. 10 Downing Street, the effect of her policies is clear everywhere. Ask to the Scottish and northern English about the dismantlement of their industry, or to the Occupy movement about deregulation of the banks, and her name will likely appear.

  

Glasgow is an example of an industrial city that was literally abandoned to their fate. The once booming industrial hub became an “every man for himself” situation when the Thatcher government washed its hands and decided not to help the industry. Exactly the opposite to what Obama did with Detroit.

  

Thatcher’s decision ended up in rampant unemployment, crime and economic depression. It was so severe that only now the city is beginning to raise above the mud. The miners of northern England didn’t have better luck despite their year long strike.  

Photo: Javier Garcia Marcos/WGMreports

Not only the mining and the heavy industry suffered through her policies over the years. The shadow of the Iron Lady is felt today in all deregulations the UK has had since. From healthcare to banking, to education; no sector was left unscattered. Thanks to Maggie, children in Britain stopped getting a glass of milk with every meal at school.

These deregulations not only were continued by his party, but also by Labour. Some people used to joke that Thatcher's greatest legacy was Tony Blair. Truth is that for better or worse, after her every single politician changed their ways. Both Conservative and Labour, none wanted, knew or could get away from the influence left by the Baroness.

Internationally, Margaret Thatcher was also able to make her mark. As hated or loved as back in Britain, she left no one unimpressed. She was a great friend of both Kissinger and Gorbachev, she helped Pinochet evade justice, she aided the government of Pol Pot in Cambodia and she called Mandela a terrorist.

Meanwhile, the tories are today Eurosceptic mostly thanks to the Iron Lady. No one did more against the EU than her. And from within. It is also part of his legacy the decision to stay out of the euro, which to be honest today seems like one of the best decisions arising from Thatcherism.

In Argentina the Falklands war will be always remember. In domestic terms, with the country in ruins, the war served as an unbeatable propaganda platform for Thatcher, who regained popularity and managed to inflame the patriotic sense.

It was a perfect play for her: the Baroness was reelected for a second term, in which she carried out most of the privatizations of public companies. Only the postal service was spared. After Tatcher, Major, Blair and Brown would finish the job with the centralization of power in London and the loss of autonomy for the municipalities.

For all this and much more is not surprising that hundreds of people went out to the streets to celebrate her death. Hatred for Thatcher and Thatcherism continues in many who even today see her mark on proposals like David Cameron‘s Bedroom tax. Those who idolize her will also have their moment at the state funeral.

Down in History, she will always be the first woman at the helm of the British government, but she never did much to promote the role of women, either in politics or society. When he entered No. 10 Downing Street, 3% of the Commons were women; when she left it was only a fraction more at 6.3%. However, her example was enough to encourage other women to follow suit.

One thing we do need to recognize is that the country's situation when Thatcher took office was miserable. Britain was paralyzed, with even coffins lined up waiting to be buried because everyone was on strike.  The country had an alarming unemployment rate and had been humiliated after having to resort to an IMF loan.

Thatcher managed to lift the country from the ashes, but the price to pay was too high for society. But since according to Thatcher "society does not exist", that was a price that the Iron Lady was more than willing to pay.