Broadly, the Stand Down Margaret generation remain refreshingly unapologetic about their hatred of the Conservative Party. โIโve probably become a bit apolitical in the last 10 or 15 years,โ says Paul Weller. โBut I still think that Thatcher should be shot as a traitor to the people. Weโre still feeling the effects of what her and her party did to the country, and probably always will: the whole breakdown of communities, the dismantling of trade unions, the attack on health, education and industry.โ
โShe dismantled everything that valued as British people,โ says Ali Campbell. โThe National Health Service, the labour movement, free education. I struggle to think of a single positive thing about her reign of terror.โ
โI can only hope that Obamaโs victory represents the end of the ludicrous trickle-down economic theory weโve been beholden to for the past 30 years,โ says Dave Wakeling. โI played a gig in California the night after Obamaโs victory and โStand Down Margaretโ got the biggest cheer of the night. This from people who werenโt even born when it was released! That hatred runs deepโฆโ
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Ten Great Anti-Thatcher Songs
1 The Beat
Whine And Grine/Stand Down Margaret (1980)
Polite insurrection set to uptempo reggae and African hi-life guitar
2 UB40
Madam Medusa (1980)
Moody, ten-minute dub tribute to Mrs T which put UB40โs later pop-reggae confections to shame.
3 Heaven 17
(We Donโt Need This) Fascist Groove Thang 1981
Cringeworthy lyrics, but check out the finger-popping electro-funk bass lines.
4 The Specials
Ghost Town (1981)
Eerie, doom-laden mix of dub, jazz and Bollywood vocals which still sounds remarkable 28 years on.