> > Baronies these days seem to be dished out as life peerages of distinction (or breeding) - e.g. former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in recognition for her senseless waste of young lives and public money over a few square miles of land off the coast of Argentina is now Baroness Thatcher.
>
> Oh, come on. We need the Malvinas/Falklands for strategic sheep purposes.
>
> And she plays a very useful role in politics even today. She ensures that, by going out every five years and backing the Conservatives, that they will never, ever, ever, EVER get into office again, as long as she lives. And she's giving Charles Kennedy a chance to get the Lib Dems taken seriously.
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> And best of all, she has inspired our Prime Minister into probably the most Liberal government since the days of Bonar Law and suffragettes.
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> Zarn"die, Thatcher. Just not until you finish tearing the Tories apart"iwoop

I don't claim to approve of Thatcher's policies (the woman was more right-wing than Wes, for heaven's sake), but unlike any politician since, she did have the best interests of the country at heart, and she did manage to achieve more good for this country than any other Prime Minister this century. She also never lied to the electorate, which I think is a horrible crime from a politician.

And besides, anyone who can intimidate the US President into declaring war after he's insisted that it won't happen deserves a little respect.

winter"But it's grudging respect"mute