Economic History

Some thoughts to counter the idea that the Conservative goverment of the eighties sorted out the economy.

The economy was ruined in the eighties, with the rape of resources through the privatisations. Also the economic theories of the Thatcher government, largely adopted by Blair, require low cost workers to keep wage demands low hence it's need to defeat the unions. Whilst Labour were attempting to bring the unions under control, causing the winter of discontent, Thatcher decided to use a more violent approach to secure a quicker result. Under the Thatcher government the low cost workers were provided by the mass unemployment they created, whereas the current government is willing to allow migrant workers to fill the gaps; something the Conservatives are philosophically opposed to. Further havoc was caused by the fact that inflation would always rocket under a Conservative government, and it is only the more modern controls introduced globally and here by Brown that has controlled it. Further destruction to the economy ensued as mass unemployment leads to higher welfare costs, either directly through benefits or indirectly through healthcare. The Conservatives also took the shortsighted route of imprisonment for as many criminals as possible rather than pursue more complex solutions, again adding to the cost, and again continued by Labour.