Oh certainly, I am a Thatcherite. Anyone who remembers the years prior to her leadership ('The Three Day Week', and the 'Winter of Discontent'), where unionised industry held the entire country to ransom, would probably find it hard to think of her otherwise*. She 'broke the unions', specifically the Miners/NUM, who once again went out on nation-wide strike action, and threatened the generation of electricity for the UK. That of course threatened the entire economy.ScoobyDoes wrote: But many would argue she left the UK in a better position than when she took over but it was Normal Tebbit that famously said something like 'Get off your butt and on yer bike.'
It feels almost surreal comparing the UK today with back them. When I was a lad electricity black-outs were periodic events due to strike action. We used paraffin lamps, and heaters instead! Then the bin/rubbish-men went out, rubbish piled up 10' high on the pavements. Then crematoria workers went out, and hospitals were using refrigerated articulated lorries as morgues. Then lorry-drivers, then car-workers, and so on, and on... I also recall ration-books being issued with coupons for staples, like petrol, eggs, bread, flour. They were tumultuous times, it felt like ongoing and perpetual chaos; and she put an end to it.
* Naturally she also ended the unions cosy self-interest. The unionised industries were forced to update, and a lot of people lost their jobs (which had previously been considered 'jobs for life'). Hence Tebbit's suggestion. 'Get on your bike', which meant - don't just assume there should be a job-for-life on your door-step, if you're out of work, go and find some elsewhere.
Can you imagine a band called 'Militant Tendency' [or similar], getting the Xmas #1 these days?. Thirty years ago, such a expression/name was so part of the times, 'The Flying Pickets' got the biggest no.1 pop slot of the year, these days 'Militant Tendency' would be a thrash/punk/growl band out on the far fringes 
