Business leaders outline Thatcher legacy for West Midlands

BUSINESS leaders in the West Midlands have paid their tributes to former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher.

The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group said Lady Thatcher had always been someone who put Britain first. However, it said it recognised there would be mixed feelings about her legacy among the manufacturing sector in the region.

Steve Brittan, president of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group, said Lady Thatcher would always be remembered domestically for curbing the trade unions and restoring the balance of power to the boardroom.

“It could be considered that the West Midlands was hit particularly hard with the collapse of the manufacturing industry, which was not being helped by three economic Thatcher policies,” he said.

“High interest rates, the increase in VAT and loss of tax incentives were the most prominent policies to affect West Midland manufacturing.

“The most important industry in the West Midlands was car production. British Leyland and its sister company Austin Rover were partly owned by the government, and had needed a large investment to save the company in the 1970s.”

He said it would be easy to see how her government’s policy was not of benefit to manufacturing and it could be considered its policies increased unemployment. However, he said other factors such as lack of investment had also contributed to general industrial unrest.

“So many people who remember the Thatcher era in the West Midlands would feel that her economic policies did not stimulate industrial growth. Some also regarded it as a time when those policies suffocated business in areas where manufacturing was the main employer,” added Mr Brittan.

“But the main Thatcher legacy here will be for curbing the power of the trade unions as well as being the Prime Minister who always put Britain first. And of course she will always be remembered for her resolute stance over the Falklands.”

Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, head of the WMG manufacturing arm of Warwick University, was an industrial adviser to Mrs Thatcher for much of her period in office.

He said: “She came to the fore at a time when the perception of Britain as an economic entity was very low.

“We had all the problems between the unions, government and management – she blamed both unions and management – especially in the Midlands, the car industry and coal mining in particular. It was one of the worst times in British industrial history.

“Determined to change the culture of Britain, she took on the big union barons whilst her employment law changes, principally the introduction of strike ballots, introduced participation of the workers, not just their leaders. While there were still strikes, it greatly reduced industrial strife.

“And then of course she started privatising many of the state industries, bringing in new leadership along the way. She was suspicious of people who were afraid of change because change was what was needed. And subsequently many other countries followed the British model of how best to get the shackles of government off industry. Everyone used us as the benchmark for how to go about it.

“For the whole world she became an icon. I can’t think of anyone else in recent history who was so single-minded in her determination to turn Britain round. Today we are enjoying the fruits of what she put in place.

“She gave power to young people and the working class. But she was not really a politician in the classic sense. She had a mission to put Britain back into the limelight, and she succeeded. She ensured that Britain escaped the image of being strike ridden and suffering a lack of competitiveness.

“She came to WMG three times and I showed her around. She had an inquiring mind, was keen to listen to what I had to say, but was always challenging and thought provoking. Being a scientist by background, she was forensic in her analysis. She was a great leader.”

The chairman of Staffordshire excavator manufacturer JCB, Sir Anthony Bamford paid a personal tribute.

He said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of Baroness Thatcher’s death and my thoughts are with her family at this very sad time. Margaret Thatcher will be remembered for many things, not least for being Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. Above all else, she had the courage of her convictions, she led from the front and ensured Britain enjoyed the respect it deserves overseas.”

As a mark of respect, flags at JCB’s factories were yesterday lowered to half mast and will also fly at half mast on the day of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral.

John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: “Baroness Thatcher’s leadership took the UK out of the economic relegation zone and into the first division. What Baroness Thatcher did to reshape the British economy gave us a generation of growth.”