Consequences: The Private Side of Britain

Directed by Glen Richards
Indignant Eye Productions
23 minutes • 2006
Also available on DVD

Downsizing, restructuring, privatization, deregulation—these buzzwords have become increasingly familiar in Canada's political landscape since the signing of NAFTA in 1994. But they're part of a trend that began more than a decade earlier. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the darling of the international business community, had already clearly set the agenda in the early 1980s.

Originally produced on the eve of Tony Blair's first election, Consequences chronicles the effects of Thatcherism, a conservative ideology whose legacy can be seen everywhere in Britain. Thatcher cut taxes and social services, targeted trade unions, sold off public utilities and eroded local governments—then looked to corporations to move in and fill the gaps. As testament to her enduring influence, a Labour MP close to Blair once made the provocative declaration, "We're all Thatcherites now."

Narrator Maude Barlow points out the dire consequences for average Canadians if they ignore the hard lessons their British counterparts learned under Thatcher. Newly released on DVD, this updated 2006 version features Heather Jane Robertson and highlights recent developments in both Britain and Canada.

Subject(s): Canada, Globalization, Labour history, Politics, Unions, United Kingdom