Terrific preview by the talented Michael White in the Guardian.
People find my admiration for Maggie strange, since I totally disagreed with 90% of her policies - especially social, although I agreed with her financial and economic approach (the few provide for the many) with a caveat - we need to encourage social responsibility strongly.

They miss my main reason for awe - she was an incredible, charismatic person who did more for women than anybody else last century.

Plus, in person, she was hugely charming and attractive.

I really look forward to the BBC show next week.

I fail to see what Margaret Thatcher ever did for women. Unless marrying a rich man now counts as striking a blow for womens' lib.

She showed that women could rise to the position of most powerfull person in the country.
Most of the women cabinet members that have followed her, seem to have focused mainly on anti-male laws like making prostition illegal under certain circumstances (Jacqui Smith) , trying to ban page 3 girls (Claire Short), instead of focussing on the real issues of war, economic crisis, unemployment, and global warming.

She showed that a woman can reach the highest office in the land. That's not bad for a start.

Regardless of what people think of her policies - she would be the best person right now in this crisis to sort this country out. She was not a wimp like Brown or Cameron or Clegg. She would have grabbed centre stage and done it her way. The UK would not be in this position - and we would have a way forward.

At the moment the Stock Market is crashing again around the World - debt is getting bigger - companies are going bust everywhere - and unemployment is running in hundreds of millions in the developed world.

This crisis is BIG - in fact I dont think the average person realises how big it actually is......it could lead to a total breakdown of the system if it keeps going. A global solution is the worst way to address the crisis - so Brown is wrong. Each country needs to shut its borders and audit its accounts and work out what has happened. Only by doing this will the HOLES in the system be plugged.

SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD is draining the money out of the system - printing more money feeds this hole and only by shutting down each component part of the world economy for a while can this address the problem.

I agree with JK. Margaret Thatcher was a charasmatic and dedicated P.M. Whether or not people agreed with her policies is immaterial. She gave 100% and did what she thought was right for this country. She deserves respect.

I was looking forward to the drama about her this week until I read Lindsay Duncan's view on how she despised her. I know that actors have to act but I would have thought it extremely hypocritical to take on the role given her strong feelings. I will now give the programme a miss.

We live in a different rld now to where we lived under Thatcher. In those days there was no concept of a global economy where British workers were competing with workers in India and abroad for the same jobs. Outsourcing of work was not an option in the 80's. Also Eastern European countries were not part of the European Union and thus would not flood Britain with Cheap Migrant labour, putting much of the British working class out of work and depressing there wages, reducing their spending power considerably. Gordon Brown has no power over these issues as he is constrained by a European directive.

I basically agree with your assesment.

Personally-I believe the financial calamities happening
today are the end result of Thatcherism/Reaganism.

I despised her as PM.

But the one time I encountered her-long after she had retired was when a hotel manager friend asked if I would come and photograph her greeting Thatcher arriving at the hotel-I was amazed at how different she was in person.

Far more attractive and delicate, pure and flawless white skin and that indefinable quality-charisma by the bucket load.

She also snapped at me and I practically jumped to attention. I could see why see why she had all those Tory MPs wrapped around her little finger !