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MAGGIE THATCHER, LIKE MARMITE APPARENTLY…
Posted by Laura on July 4, 2010
Tags: Politics, Woman's Hour, Women
BBC Radio4’s Woman’s Hour recently run a balloon debate to consider the woman who’d done the most to give women in Britain a voice in politics. One of the four women in the balloon was Margaret Thatcher, advocated by Louise Bagshawe, Conservative MP and writer. Louise pointed to the fact Thatcher was a bit like Marmite, you either loved her or loathed her. I’ve always been the latter (highly ironic I now work in her birth-town) and despite Louise’s arguments, was not convinced of the good done by Maggie. We cannot ignore that Margaret Thatcher was the first, and only, female prime minister in Britain and this is an accomplishment but Louise Bagshaw’s support for her rest largely on this fact. Firstly, I feel Thatcher was not standing up for women in becoming prime minister, in fact she was almost de-sexed in the process. The working hours for intance and her lack of sleep (also troubling is perhaps she had to work such hours in order to live up to the role). Secondly, Thatcher was not speaking on behalf of women but rather a particular group of women – namely middle-class and white. And much that she put in place largely disadvantaged the already disadvantaged. I could go on…
Like Marmite, I dislike Maggie Thatcher but where do you fit on the love/hate divide and why?
Tags for this post:Politics, Woman's Hour, Women