noglea

My ideal casting choice for the role would be Michael Caine. He's already got two oscars but i'm sure he could do with a third.

foha80

I don't know if that applies in Scotland,the people up here that I know who voted for the Tories still referred to her as 'That Bloody woman' (I paraphrase).There was/is something about her that just screamed no compassion.Didn't she say ' There is no such thing as society'-God preserve us from idealogue's.

Terry

Brett Sinclair

I'm surprised you didn't come out with a slightly more glib comment such as 'time to go back to school now'

I appreciate that you may not agree with me, but please let me know what it is that you think I said that wasn't sensible?

There's no need to kneel, I'm a very democratic sort of lord.

Brett Sinclair

I wouldn't disagree, however, I'd prefer a leader that wasn't necessarily compassionate but I (personally) felt I could trust, rather than a smarmy, slimy, spin happy egomaniac that 'appears' to be compassionate. I have absolutely no liking for Mr. Blair whatsoever (some of you may have guessed ) however, that doesn't mean that I think DC is the be all and end all. I just think that Maggie deserves more credit than some of our other members are prepared to concede.

Still doesn't change my mind that Helen Mirren would be a good choice though.

There's no need to kneel, I'm a very democratic sort of lord.

Santonix

Well side stepped. I could give you many other examples, but alas I fear you would dismiss those too. However I respect your views and opinons.

Brett Sinclair

I didn't cite the rise in interest rates as being something extraordinary, I meant that since the Labour party has been in power we have got used to low interest rates...but we are now seeing them climb ...quite swiftly. Heck, if Gordon keeps my mortgage low I'm as pleased as anyone else!

All my savings though are, of course, off-shore

There's no need to kneel, I'm a very democratic sort of lord.

Steve Crook

That National Service should be reinstated.
That any long term international economic situation or national morality should be blamed on the political party that happens to be in power at the time - or that it should all be blamed on the Prime Minister.

I don't think you should go back to school, although that might not be a bad idea. But I do think you should stop reading, and believing, what the newspapers say. Especially the ones like the Mail & the Express.

Steve

Brett Sinclair

Thanks for coming back Steve,

Long term economic situation being blamed on any government - I would agree with you, I don't think I've said anything to the contrary?

National morality I would have to disagree with you. Who or what do you think is responsible for the decline in our social and moral standards if not successive governments? Or perhaps you think that we are still enjoying the rosy state of affairs enjoyed in the 1950s?

I agree that it's somewhat simplistic for me to say 'government' is to blame as there are many contributing factors, but most of these, if not all, are brought about by government legislation, 'government' is the root cause and PMs stand accountable at the head. Maggie and Blair

Declining standards in education especially, and the persistent interference of political correctness (I use that term with disdain, but it sums it up the best) are two of the main contributors, the latter almost completely the child of this current government.

I knew you would jump at the National Service comment, that's why I threw it in at the end. But in all seriousness I, personally, would look at whether this was a viable direction to take.

As for your comment 'But I do think you should stop reading, and believing, what the newspapers say. Especially the ones like the Mail & the Express.' I wonder why you think I should not get my sources of news, information, topical conversation, from the same places that you do? FYI I do not read either of those publications, but the Mirror and the Daily Star are no different in their perceived propagandist approach to news.

Am I a lesser mortal than you Steve? You have the benefit of a few years of extra wisdom on me granted, and I was brought up to respect those that are older than myself, but I think it harsh that you should think I don't have the ability to obtain my news from what you deem to be worthy sources. Yes, I am a Conservative voter, but to denigrate my ability to achieve objectivity from what I see, read or hear is a little silly. We are not all the same.

There's no need to kneel, I'm a very democratic sort of lord.

merryowen

Actually, Jim Callaghan was a member of the Labour Party. He became Prime Minister in 1976, by which time the UK depression was well under way. Whatever Margaret Thatcher did or did not do (and as far as I can see it was mostly a case of facing up to the inevitable), she did not start the slump, she inherited it.

OPEC certainly wasn't adverse to using the Arab-Israeli upset to make a few bob for its members. But the price rises had been on the cards for years and when they came they were surprisingly low.

penfold

I'm not entirely daft, I know precisely who Jim Callaghan was...and in 1974 he was the Foreign Secretary under Wilson after Ted Heath lost the election...the slump you mention started under Heath....Three Day Week anyone? and despite the best efforts of Wilson, Healey and Callaghan the oil crisis worsened things. Yes, Mrs T inherited things in a poor condition...but then proceeded to make things far worse with her complete lack of understanding as to what this nation actually was.....as much a nation of miners and steelworkers as men in suits and armed forces, as much Scottish and Welsh and Irish as English. She destroyed the mortar that bound this nation together....it was her dismissal of the relevance of Scotland that hastened cries for devolution. Put simply, and this is true throughout all of her policies, she did not care who got hurt.
And now I'm going to shut up on the subject....I come here for banter about films....!!

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

ChristineCB

no No NO! Pen, you've just cost me another fiver - me having bet on the opposite of your statement!

How can you do this TO ME?!! Dear sweet me!! Maybe you can edit it and say you ARE completely daft?!! (And believe me, if Pen would do that for ME, he might just qualify as COMPLETELY DAFT, eh?)

merryowen

Calm down.

Settle for Penfold being half sharp; that way you only have to pay him two pounds ten.