"From tax policy to labour relations and home ownership, nigh on every reform has been dismantled by either the Left or the so-called Right"
Telegraph: 11th February 2025: On the anninversary of Margaret Thatcher becoming Conservative leader, the Telegraph speaks to PopCon's Mark Littlewood and others on what the legacy looks like today.
"From tax policy to labour relations and home ownership, nigh on every reform has been dismantled by either the Left or the so-called Right.
"Mark Littlewood said:
"It feels a bit like we are back in 1975,” says Mark Littlewood, director of Popular Conservatism, the group founded by Liz Truss, and a former director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs. “People feel like nothing works and even if we change the government they will be as bad as if not worse than the previous one. There is a cycle of despair and decline in British public discourse, rather than someone saying ‘This is how we get out of it’. That was Thatcher’s message, even if it was a stern one. She was pointing out how much better things could be.”
Mark Littlewood said:
“Regulation has got worse almost every passing year since Thatcher, including under the last Conservative governments,” says Littlewood. “The risks of sole traders taking on their first, second or third employee are so perilous it isn’t worth doing. There’s also a risk you’ll be spending half your time on compliance. We have become a nation of ‘compliers’ rather than producers, so nobody should be surprised that growth is on the floor. I still think the British people are up for a bit of swashbuckling, but the political elites refuse to allow them to do so.”
Mark Littlewood said:
“We’ve become a cog in the wheel of international law. Can you imagine Margaret Thatcher calling up General Galtieri in Argentina in 1982 and asking him to take the Falklands and pay them £18 billion for the privilege?" Having spent a decade rebuilding Britain’s standing and influence around the world, it’s safe to assume Thatcher would also be appalled at the ways our armed forces have been denuded. “I’m sure she would be horrified at the state of our military”.
Mark Littlewood said:
“What has been lost is the idea of self-reliance. Social mobility was a big part of Thatcher’s appeal and that has certainly flatlined. Her message of resilience, risk taking and keeping the rewards of your success really resonated back then. Now we see millionaires and billionaires as cash cows who should not be applauded for their success, in fact they should be criticised for not paying their ‘fair share’ of tax. We have developed a victim culture and that would have her spinning in her grave.”