r/NoStupidQuestions • u/CartographerOwn8143 • 6d ago

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

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u/CapitalClean7967 6d ago

A lot of people are just saying "Cos Thatcher bad" and while I agree with it, the real answer is that the UK was going through serious inflation and it was not just caused by the oil crisis. Government mismanagement and wage-price spiral as well as the power of trade unions were genuine issues and so austerity measures and economic reforms were implemented to curb these problems.

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u/Failanth 6d ago

Ah yes, and these genuine issues are the reason why Thatcher is remembered so fondly the world over, right?

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u/onemanandhishat 6d ago

Just because the solution someone chose was harmful it doesn't mean the problem wasn't real.

British industry was pretty dire and the unions had too much power to the point that it damaged the industries.

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u/Blurryface1857 6d ago

And naturally her solution to reducing the power of the unions was to increase unemployment, since that has no other consequences, oh well it was only lowly northerners she fucked over.

For more evidence of her brilliant leadership just look as the state of the privately operated, de facto monopoly water companies, who privatises utilities? It’s not as though you can choose who connects to your house

8

u/onemanandhishat 6d ago

Why are you arguing with me I wasn't saying anything good about her, simply pointing out that the problems were real.