What Thatcher taught me

Most of you who regularly come across and read my blogs will remember that I reside from a small town in the valleys called Merthyr Tydfil.

As I've said in previous blogs, we are a simple folk in Merthyr Tydfil. We have simple pleasures that usually revolve around the pub and everyone knows you as someone's offspring or grandchild. Our take on English grammar schools are schools that teach through the medium of Welsh and we are all pretty much working class. While these things make living in the valleys grand, we haven't had the easiest of times since the closure of the coal mines.

Yes boys and girls. I'm here to discuss Margaret Thatcher - and you should've known it was coming in light of her death this week. Sorry dad.

As a born and bred valleys girl, my expected reaction to her death is to celebrate but, as always, I am full of surprises, I am a women, (which means that I enjoy being awkward and doing the opposite of what I am told/expected to do) and, more importantly, that's not what I'm here to do. In such situations, I try not to let my nationality and family cloud my judgement. While my father has completely forbidden me to date a conservative and my late grandfather was an ex coal-miner  you can see that I have not been brought up to be a Tory lover. However, instead of celebrating as expected, I spent the day feeling somewhat saddened at the loss of a historical figure and comforting my distraught boyfriend with cigarettes, alcohol and chocolate eggs.

Before we continue, let's lay down some groundwork. As has been made obvious, I am a female. I am a female that has been brought up in the valleys, fortunately enough by two sets of parents, who have done a grand job in bringing up the beacon of wonderfulness that is me. My father doesn't read The Times or The Daily Mail. My mother doesn't really read newspapers. In short, I haven't really been brought up to be a conservative and I'm not. But I'm not for labour either. At this moment in time, I can safely say that I don't affiliate to any political party. Admittedly, I can't say I'm completely apolitical; I believe in a support system provided by the state as a safety net, not a hammock. I believe in equality for all no matter their race, gender, class or religion. I believe in gay marriage. What I'm trying to say is that I don't have to be political to have beliefs or to recognise a historical figure, no matter what party he or she is for.

Now that's cleared up, let's move on.

There are many female figures in history that have inspired me and made me see the world in a completely different way. Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Jane Austen, Florence Nightingale, Emmeline Pankhurst, Coco Chanel, Rosa Parks and now, Margaret Thatcher. As the first and so far, the only female prime minister of Great Britain, Maggie defined a decade.

Maggie has actually taught me a lot, not just about politics or economics, which, admittedly, I tend to lack knowledge in, but about women and their place in the world. As a historian, I have to recognise that few women in history have achieved the political, social and economic influence that Maggie did and, whether you agree or disagree with what she did or did not, by any measure, she was a historical 'great'.

So, for now, please forget my background. Please forget your views on Margaret Thatcher, be they positive or negative, and read some of the things that Maggie taught me.

1) You can achieve anything you put your mind to

Despite who you are, where you are, what you do and how you do it, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Simple.

On this point, Maggie showed me that mere biology had and still does not stop women from achieving great things in humanity. In her time, the barriers to women becoming leaders shifted from Darwinian to social and psychological factors. And, despite this, she broke through to holding the highest seat in politics for eleven and a half years.

Even if you hated her, you have to respect that.

2) 'Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't'

I don't make it a secret that I'm not a massive fan of the current government, for many reasons, one being David Cameron's character. Why do so many of our political and business leaders need to throw their weight around these days? It's not big and it's not clever and Thatcher demonstrated this, especially nearing her later years in power, when the distorting and often corrupting effects of power resulting in her being ousted from government. However, in her early years, Thatcher showed me that leadership can be demonstrated and not promoted like some circus side show.

3. Don't set out to be liked

One of the main things I fear most about our generation of political leaders is that they are compromising on what is right in order to avoid 'rocking the boat.' What we, and certainly I have in these political leaders is doubt and uncertainty. In this case, Thatcher taught me if you set out to do what is right, even if it is unpopular, history will remember the end result, whether favorably or not. For me, this is a lesson that I will certainly be using in my career as a journalist.

4. Expect the unexpected

It's common knowledge that Maggie didn't expect there to be a female prime minister in her time and that she never really set out to become the prime minister. From that, I take that you should always expect the unexpected and dream as big as you can. What harm could it do? Hey, you may even end up as the Prime Minister of Britain.

I am not commending or condemning Baroness Thatcher. I am merely remarking on what lessons I can take away from her character and her time in power. I am constantly reminded that I was not alive when Thatcherism was in full swing and so, I can never fully appreciate what happened. Admittedly, I don't think I will ever be able to forgive what she did to the coal mine industry, my valley and my family. But, as of yet, I do not and I don't think I will ever know what effect Margaret Thatcher has had on me as an individual. Likewise, I cannot be sure of the long term effects that she has had on our nation. What I do know, however, is that this is a time when our nation needs to stop and reflect on what has been.