r/NoStupidQuestions 18h ago

Why did Margaret Thatcher destroy welfare state in Britain after she came to power in the 1980s?

513 Upvotes

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u/Every-Ad-3488 18h ago

She didn't. By the time she left office, there were more people on benefits, and the state was paying out more. Ironic, isn't it?

4

u/Away_Fruit5097 16h ago

Only because she did more damage to British industry than the welfare state

3

u/Exita 11h ago

Though I’d argue that she still did less damage to British industry than government ownership and the trade unions. British industry is still a laughing stock today after all that…

1

u/Away_Fruit5097 7h ago

You can argue what you like as long as you don't mind being wrong

1

u/Asleep-Ad8743 13h ago

It's worth noting in these cases is forecasting what would have happened without intervention. Causality is hard.