Nicola Sturgeon not standing for election

You are right it is the 6th verse rosequartz slip of the finger!
Anniebach - Thatcher has the similar affect on our household the bairns thought it was a swear word when they were wee! She asset stripped Wales, Scotland and the north of England but what she did to the miners was criminal.

Cameron's latest gaffe, up North, having told us we are all doing better under the Tories and will do even better if we only let him heal the North/South divide, he's now told us that this election is career-defining, when he really meant country defining.

I think I believe the first from him.

durhamjen Yes, I saw that on TV and had to laugh at the way, realising his mistake, he quickly changed "career defining" to "country defining" (which makes no sense at all really).

He must mean his career. It could certainly define the end of his career, but I doubt that he meant to say that.

Dotsmam, there is no reason or excuse anyone can put forward which would or could defend the destruction of the mining areas of this country carried out by that witch and the damage to the North of England and Scotland

so Anniebach will we start a collection to help with her museum then?! (Joke)

I doubt it Dotsmam as much as I doubt I will put my name down to fly into outer space , and I will not go in a lift or look out of a first floor window . Only place to remember her is in the British crime museum.

Are you joking about a museum to Thatcher in Wales, Dotsmam?
The very idea makes me feel sick.

There will be no museum to Thatcher in Wales, but the Welsh (and Scottish, Cornish, Geordie, etc) and ex miners throughout the UK will have the privilege of contributing to the museum via their taxes.

I cannot see the point of a Thatcher museum anywhere. Perhaps instead there should be a museum in honour of that inspired leader Scargill, who did so much to keep the mines open and secure their future.

Thank goodness for that! NS is Scotland's answer to Tony Blair. Who wants another lawyer as PM.

I was living near Barnsley at the time when Arthur was trying to buy an old Quaker mansion with its acres and acres of prime land, plus outbuildings. It all fell through (not because of undermining) but because he could not justify cost to out of work miners. The wives of miners - and their husbands - that I knew at that time, did not like Arthur. Funny old thing - leadership. A lot of Northern Ireland protestants didn't like Paisley either.

CelticRose, along with friends and family, I was involved in fund raising/supporting striking miners. I always struggled with Arthur Scargill, felt at the time he was so like Thatcher in having that unreasonable belief in self that allows some people to trample rough shod over everyone else.

Iam64 At that time, I also "tooted" the miners and their families even though when working they earned far more than my husband and I together. One story I was told (a relative who worked in a pet shop) was of miners' children buying pet mice at 50p and a cage at £5. I couldn't afford the mouse. At least Thatcher only hit with words and with her handbag - unlike miners who formed gangs amongst themselves to physically intimidate colleagues into voting for Arthur. Not only their colleagues, but wives and children too were involved. (See Billy Elliott film.) As I said, leadership is a funny old thing. Or is it the followers? I read in this week's news that Germans and Nazis were two different nations/peoples. I wonder then who made all the uniforms similar.

How long before Scotland goes for another Referendum and this time, wins?

Got to the stage where many would say 'good riddance' - but go, find your own currency, get passports to come to the UK, and forget about any funding. What do you think?

Mind you, I take my hat off to Nicola Sturgeon- she is a very persuasive and confident young woman.

I think that sounds so patronising! Why on earth should anybody be surprised at this " confidence"? She is a 44 year old lawyer and First Minister of Scotland, not some "wee girl". She is 1 year younger than Ed Miliband and 4 younger than David Cameron. It is a serious sign of ageing when people refer to political leaders as "nice young men" or "a confident young woman".

Hear, hear, Soutra!

Are you sure about her age Soutra?I assumed she was about 50 at least?

Certainly not a young woman anyway.

Born July 1970 I believe.

Wow. now I do feel old!

So was my youngest child. If he had gone into politics, he would be quite mature enough to lead a party.

We were married in July 1970, she could have been my "love child"!

Wasn't Tony Blair 44 when Labour won the 1997 election?

My DS born 1971, more than capable