Thirty years ago Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister. Her 11 and a half year premiership was the most controversial of the post-war period - not least here in Scotland.
Political editor Bernard Ponsonby chaired a panel discussion on Mrs Thatcher's legacy with an A-list of speakers. The event at the Signet Library in Edinburgh on Monday night attracted hundreds.
Headlining the high-calibre debate were the former Scottish Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, former Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie MSP, former Labour minister Brian Wilson and former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars.
Sir Malcolm defended the Thatcher legacy.
He said "Why was she unpopular in Scotland? For three reasons. First of all,
she was a woman; secondly, she was an English woman; and thirdly, she was a bossy English woman.
"And I recall indeed her coming in to one Cabinet committee and saying 'I don't have much time today, only enough time to explode and have my way.'."
RESOURCES
Cameron: Britain owes Thatcher 'a huge debt of gratitude'
VIDEO: See an extended version of the panel discussion
VIDEO: Excerpts from Margaret Thatcher’s ‘Sermon on the Mound’
VIDEO: Politics Now debate - Thatcher's legacy
Analysis: Scotland too critical of Margaret Thatcher
The charge against Mrs Thatcher was that she did indeed believe there was no such thing as society, that she pursued policies which marginalised and created a political underclass.
Mr Wilson explained: "It's about the people and the communities that you can go round here and see which were devastated during the 1980s and have never recovered from that devastation.
"That is a division that matters, not between Scotland and England; not between the false dichotomies of politics, but the have-nots and the haves and the fact that Thatcher traded ruthlessly upon that division."
The sale of council houses is often quoted as her greatest policy success story. Although it redefined the magnitude of municipal socialism, it didn't lead to fundamental changes in voting attitudes.
Taking on industrial militancy, forcing ballots on trade unions and cutting strikes was a key aim.
The debate laid bare competing philosophies - philosophies that were articulated with passion and good humour.
In this section
- Think-tank calls for 19 'super' councils with control of health and police
- Car firm Arnold Clark raises concerns with MSPs about standard of education
-
MSPs call for rail review as Scots pay third more than European rail users
-
'Little fanfare' at funeral of Lockerbie bomber Megrahi in Libya
- Alistair Darling reveals Tony Blair could join No to Independence campaign
- Ambulance service to benefit from £34m vehicle fund
- Tories seek European legal challenge to Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill
- Future of historic Scottish regiments to be debated at Westminster
- UK and Scottish governments 'closer to agreement on referendum'
-
Aide to Salmond apologises to Parliament for 'discourteous' absence
