Thatcher and Brexit
Margaret Thatcher casts a long shadow over Brexit and Britain. She campaigned to join the Common Market, was a driving force behind the Single Market and then lost her job, when her Foreign Secretary turned against her on the issue of her dealings with the EC.
She also, as far as I know, never publicly supported leaving the EU, which hasn’t stopped the Thatcherite wing of the Tory Party claiming Brexit in her name. But then strangely enough the talks with the EU seem to be stuck on the issue of state aid to British firms. With Brexiteers claiming the UK must have the right to subsidise and support British firms; above and beyond the levels allowed by the EU.
There are two obvious points to be made on this issue, first the EU’s rules on state aid are pretty flexible and generous and secondly if Margaret Thatcher stood for anything it was ending state support for private business. Privatisations and endless lecturing on why the Government can’t and mustn’t pick winners or hinder the free market are what Thatcherism was all about.
Which makes threatening a deal on state aid, seem more Corbynist than Thatcherite.
https://jonty.substack.com/