Since I'm on a bit of a wonder through Thatcherism at the moment.
One of the commonest bits of praise you hear about her; well from those who like her, growing up in South Wales I've met a fair few people who don't have a great opinion of her for reasons you can probably guess (hint: the whole mine closing thing didn't go down well). Anyway she's credited with being the first to have the testicular fortitude to really take on the unions.
Which is a bloody odd idea if you even take half a glance at the situation before she came to power. Heath had the three day week and the infamous "who governs" election, Callaghan even more famously had the winter of discontent to deal with.
If they weren't going to war with the unions then it didn't look much like peace.
Praise Thatcher for winning, but don't pretend she was the first to go into battle.
