The Liverpool Echo
Mrs Thatcher was a divisive figure in Merseyside, which experienced mass unemployment in the 80s when she made radical changes to British industry.
The paper spoke to Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who said he admired her “strength of character” but believes she left a legacy of “social injustice”.
There is no doubt Baroness Thatcher was a unique figure in 20th century politics. Her strength of character and determination were to be admired but I firmly believe her policies were misguided and inflicted huge damage on cities like Liverpool.
I was motivated to get involved in politics in the 1980s because I could see the effect her government’s economic policies were having, particularly in terms of unemployment and creating inequality and division.
Sadly you will not find many people in Liverpool who believe her legacy is positive.
Thatcherism is still alive and kicking. Part of her legacy, her Tory values were about making inequality more prevalent. The social injustice, the attacks on the poor – we are still seeing that today.
The Western Mail says several high profile Welsh figures believe Thatcherism was a major catalyst for devolution.
Welsh foes of Mrs Thatcher portrayed her as an enemy who had not been elected by a majority of people in Wales, who sought the destruction of heavy industry and whose policies shattered community solidarity.
The late Duncan Tanner, one of Wales’ most respected political historians, in 2007 named Mrs Thatcher among the founding fathers of devolution.
He said she “undermined the belief that British government would cure Welsh ills and did more to swell support for devolution than anyone else”.
Yet, it points out:
Thousands of Welsh voters chose not to pin the blame for economic hardship on Mrs Thatcher.
People with long memories would also, rightly, raise a sceptical eyebrow when confronted with claims that the Thatcher Government single-handedly destroyed the mining industry for which Wales was world famous.
The Scotsman draws up on Mrs Thatcher's own words to sum up her Scottish legacy: "economically positive but politically negative".
It goes on to say:
The positive aspect of Lady Thatcher’s balance sheet was undoubtedly true. At the beginning of her premiership, the Scottish economy lagged behind that of England, but 11 years later it was in harmony with its southern neighbour, and even a little ahead.
But she was genuinely mystified by her political failure north of the Border. It probably didn’t bother her personally, but as a Conservative imbued with Disraelian notions of “One Nation”, it concerned her politically.
Yet her legacy, however lopsided, persists, in the language, policy and most importantly the assumptions of a devolved nation, a legacy that will – most ironically – likely persist even in an independent Scotland.
The Daily Mail remembers Mrs Thatcher as the "the woman who saved Britain" and columnist Richard Littlejohn said her beliefs are still as relevant today as they were 20 years ago.
She was of the firm conviction that society is the sum of its parts — individuals, families, churches, voluntary organisations, businesses. It was her belief that people expected too much from government, concentrated too much on their ‘rights’ and ‘entitlements’ and not enough on their obligations.
We all have a duty to help ourselves and our neighbours. Hers was a vision of a liberated, bottom-up society, not the bureaucratic top-down version favoured by Socialists.
It is especially relevant to today’s ferocious debate over welfare — safety net versus cradle-to-grave lifestyle option.
The Times goes for a picture of Mrs Thatcher on an official visit to Moscow and highlights one of her most famous quotes:
Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.
The Guardian displays an epitaph written by Thatcher biographer Hugo Young:
The first time I met Margaret Thatcher, I swear she was wearing gloves. But without any question, sitting behind her desk, she was wearing a hat.
He went on:
Thatcher became a supremely self-confident leader. No gloves, or hats, except for royalty or at funerals, but feet on the table, whisky glass at hand, into the small hours of solitude, for want of male cronies in the masculine world she dominated for all her 11 years in power.
The Independent describes Mrs Thatcher as "the woman who changed Britain".
"Maggie Dead in Bed at Ritz", says The Sun:
The Mirror asks whether Baroness Thatcher should be given a ceremonial funeral:
The socialist tabloid The Morning Star greets Mrs Thatcher’s death with the headline: "The woman who tore Britain apart".
It goes on to say she was the “PM who brought country to its knees and ruined lives of millions”.
Mrs Thatcher was a divisive figure in Merseyside, which experienced mass unemployment in the 80s when she made radical changes to British industry.
The paper spoke to Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who said he admired her “strength of character” but believes she left a legacy of “social injustice”.
I was motivated to get involved in politics in the 1980s because I could see the effect her government’s economic policies were having, particularly in terms of unemployment and creating inequality and division.
Sadly you will not find many people in Liverpool who believe her legacy is positive.
Thatcherism is still alive and kicking. Part of her legacy, her Tory values were about making inequality more prevalent. The social injustice, the attacks on the poor – we are still seeing that today.
The Western Mail says several high profile Welsh figures believe Thatcherism was a major catalyst for devolution.
The late Duncan Tanner, one of Wales’ most respected political historians, in 2007 named Mrs Thatcher among the founding fathers of devolution.
He said she “undermined the belief that British government would cure Welsh ills and did more to swell support for devolution than anyone else”.
Yet, it points out:
Thousands of Welsh voters chose not to pin the blame for economic hardship on Mrs Thatcher.
People with long memories would also, rightly, raise a sceptical eyebrow when confronted with claims that the Thatcher Government single-handedly destroyed the mining industry for which Wales was world famous.
The Scotsman draws up on Mrs Thatcher's own words to sum up her Scottish legacy: "economically positive but politically negative".
It goes on to say:
But she was genuinely mystified by her political failure north of the Border. It probably didn’t bother her personally, but as a Conservative imbued with Disraelian notions of “One Nation”, it concerned her politically.
Yet her legacy, however lopsided, persists, in the language, policy and most importantly the assumptions of a devolved nation, a legacy that will – most ironically – likely persist even in an independent Scotland.
The Daily Mail remembers Mrs Thatcher as the "the woman who saved Britain" and columnist Richard Littlejohn said her beliefs are still as relevant today as they were 20 years ago.
We all have a duty to help ourselves and our neighbours. Hers was a vision of a liberated, bottom-up society, not the bureaucratic top-down version favoured by Socialists.
It is especially relevant to today’s ferocious debate over welfare — safety net versus cradle-to-grave lifestyle option.
The Times goes for a picture of Mrs Thatcher on an official visit to Moscow and highlights one of her most famous quotes:
The Guardian displays an epitaph written by Thatcher biographer Hugo Young:
He went on:
Thatcher became a supremely self-confident leader. No gloves, or hats, except for royalty or at funerals, but feet on the table, whisky glass at hand, into the small hours of solitude, for want of male cronies in the masculine world she dominated for all her 11 years in power.
The Independent describes Mrs Thatcher as "the woman who changed Britain".
"Maggie Dead in Bed at Ritz", says The Sun:
The Mirror asks whether Baroness Thatcher should be given a ceremonial funeral:
The socialist tabloid The Morning Star greets Mrs Thatcher’s death with the headline: "The woman who tore Britain apart".
It goes on to say she was the “PM who brought country to its knees and ruined lives of millions”.