Quote Originally Posted by rory_20_uk View Post
I agree with Furunculus on this one. Parties change over time and should be judged on what they do primarily, not on what they say or heaven forbid what they said or did decades ago.

A primal loathing / hatred for a party is to me very odd, especially as has been pointed out, most fo the "loony Right" ideas have been implemented by a "Left" wing party (well, no one called Labour "liberal", did they). But then Tories have always been about local power and freedoms, whereas Labour is a Centralising Stalinist mindset verging on belief - when it doesn't work, legislate some more layers to help sort out the other twelve...

This post contains the biggest contradiction I have ever witnessed on this board. The Conservative party had as their mantra throughout the 80's that they would roll back the frontiers of the state. And yet Thatcher presided over an era which saw massive, yes massive increases in state spending, size, scope and power. Reagan in the US did the same bit of duplicity.

Local powers and freedoms? What on earth are you talking about? Thatcher abolished various Labour held local councils including the GLC entirely for political reasons.