I might vote Tory but that doesn't make me a bad person

Just wanted to add that my three young adults are saddled with student loans to repay, and none could afford to get on the property ladder when the Labour party governed the country. The price of property and the amount needed for a deposit to secure a mortgage was beyond them.

In 2010 the Conservatives formed a government. Only five years ago. Please let's not forget the hardship young people no face started LONG before Cameron's time in office.

I also remember that it was Blair's government which introduced tuition fees.

"In 1997, a report by Sir Ron Dearing recommended that students should contribute to the costs of university education. The Labour government under Tony Blair passed the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 which introduced tuition fees of £1,000 to start in the 1998/9 academic year.[2] In addition, maintenance grants were replaced with repayable student loans for all but the poorest students." Wiki.

Thatcher may have introduced privatisation in the NHS but the Labour Government in office continued the practice.

Having just re-read the posts on this topic I have perhaps clarified why I have not been inspired by the most recent of Labour governments.

Like many I am quite disillusioned by politics and politicians.....of all political persuasions. I fell completely out of love with the Labour Party though. This from a woman who, in the '70s participated in more sit-ins/protest marches as a student wanting to change the world, than any do today.

It's getting late...

Too much thinking isn't good for me at this time of night.

I've got it! I concentrated really hard.

Thank you grumppa! You understood and said it for me

durhamjen, yes I did.

Thatcher may have 'turned' many to the left/Labour after her time in office....but they probably described themselves then being 'slightly' left of centre. Blair appealed to 'moderates' rather than hard-bitten socialists. (I always described him as a Tory wearing a red tie.)

A 'Red' Ed may have tried to redress the balance but could have frightened off the moderates. Who knows? Merely idle speculation on my part.

Left but not tooooo left

jingl, she was a symbol of the right. The public took against her eventually and many wanted a more left-wing government, hence the shift.

So what did Major do in the middle?

No! I don't get it. I could understand a right of centre ground (when she made conservatism unpalatable) but not a left of.

Can't get my head round that one! 'ang on. I'll have a think.

Same here, grumppa TB was waiting with open arms.

I think you're right, grumppa.

Ooh 'eck loopy. I was still in bed.

Perhaps Day6 meant that by making voting Conservative unpalatable to many in the centre Thatcher helped create a left of centre middle ground. It's certainly arguable, and need not be so harshly dismissed.

Sorry, Day6, you did write that Thatcher helped to create left of centre middle ground?
Are you feeling ill?

Day 6 - I can only sigh - there is so much wrong with your post I dont know where to start so I am just going to make a cup,of tea and prepare for tomorrow.

I heard that too on my way to work jingl

It was a compassionate Thought for the Day.

Oh, that's not what the meaning of thought for the day this morning was about. It was about giving kindly sympathy to the ones in politics who have fallen so spectactularly from power. Get it right!

"the party has to work out for itself where the hell it is and what it represents."

I agree nightowl.

I get the feeling that Miliband's focus was too much on his union pals and maybe the far left, and as Mandy and Blair noted, he forgot to assure the vast 'middle ground' they'd also be looked after....the majority (maybe) slightly to the left of centre that Thatcher and then Blair helped to create.

EM not DM....it's getting late!

That's your opinion but DM was keen to have him!

If you think that Lords of any party are automatically senior members of the party concerned, you know very little about how all that works. For one thing, there are far too many of them. Sugar has never sat on any influential insider policy making Labour committee. There are some truly influential Lords in all parties but Sugar sure as hall ain't one of them. And actually I don't think he has insight into much at all let alone the Labour Party!

Definitely Lord Sugar, and a senior member (now ex-) of that Party, so like him/it or not nightowl yes, he does have considerable insight in to the Labour Party.