Shock horror, Sally BERK COW (sorry Berkow wife of House of Commons Speaker John) has rejected an invitation to the funeral of Baroness Thatcher. Well I am absolutely sure that wherever she is Baroness Thatcher will be devastated by this snub particularly from such a revered member of our society and one who is taken so very seriously (not!) This is just one of the many publicity seeking and silly reactions to the death of the redoubtable Mrs T. You protest if you want to, but a little decorum please, we are supposed to be a great and tolerant nation!
Yes she was divisive (as most great leaders are) and I myself did not agree with everything she did, certain of her actions and attitudes made me shout at the TV and I often found her public persona distant and unfeeling but boy did we all admire her conviction, self-confidence and guts. I believe that a bit of 21st century Thatcher would do no harm at all in the present political climate.
I am also extremely irritated by comments from people who weren’t even out of nappies when Mrs T got elected and who obviously a) don’t understand economics and b) don’t bother with things like facts. All those of a certain age remember the 70s and “out brovers out”, Denis Healey vowing to squeeze the rich and aspirational till the pips squeak and then having to borrow money from the IMF . . . . making model aeroplanes by candlelight (yes kids did stuff like that back in the ‘70s) because the miners decided to go on strike AGAIN, the stench of uncollected rubbish, unburied corpses, British Leyland cars (prime minister Callaghan deciding to open a window of his newly delivered British Leyland car whereupon the said window immediately fell in on his lap), exchange controls, state control of everything (yes in the 70s newspapers could not publish what was on telly), weak government, lack of opportunity for ordinary people . . . . . and these are only a few of my favourite 70s moments. Britain arguably the greatest nation in history was the sick man of Europe and an international laughing stock, frankly going abroad was embarrassing!
Thatcher and her boot boys were the brutal but necessary shock treatment required. Anybody who has even the thinnest understanding of economics or who bothers to study the history of the time cannot fail to understand that fact. With particular relevance to this commentary is her government’s legacy to business and entrepreneurialism from a time when it was considered naff to be either self-employed (too risky) or a money maker (too vulgar) these include:
• The enterprise allowance which started many small businesses, some of which have become very large businesses;
• Enterprise zones where SMEs could incubate without being flattened by local government;
• The youth opportunities scheme which got many people into permanent work;
• Generous incentives to investors to invest in unquoted SMEs which have become today’s EIS and SEIS;
• An environment where being self-employed came to be regarded as exciting and gutsy;
• A freer lending environment which until 2008 did help many businesses expand and which gave rise to factoring and confidential invoice discounting which so effectively finances working capital for so many businesses;
• A more forgiving tax regime based on the belief that individuals will spend money more efficiently than the state;
• Smaller government (alas now reversed);
• And the end of the cold war which didn’t have much effect on business but was a bloody good thing anyway.
The above sparked my passion for SMEs and led me to eventually co-found Bohica Capital with a view to helping and advising this most dynamic of sectors.
For the above Mrs Thatcher we thank you, hopefully the majority of our nation’s citizens will do the same.
Adios amigos.
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