The influence that this great lady had on our business was tremendous. Pimlico Plumbers was established in 1979, the same year that she became Prime Minister, so she has been a big part of our business life. She gave people the belief and confidence that they could progress and succeed. From my point of view she was very, very inspirational and a great role model.
I think Mrs Thatcher’s great achievements are never-ending. The fact that she was the first female prime minister is an amazing achievement in itself.
When she came to power the country was in a pretty bad recession and she changed things. I think we tend to forget that at that time there were power cuts, the three day week, food shortages and many other things. She made people feel proud to be British again.
Another thing I will remember Margaret Thatcher for is that she really broke the back of the Unions which were getting a little out of control. They were actually running everything rather than the Government! Her achievements, I think, are never-ending.
I believe her loss will be felt most by everyone who was given confidence to make something of themselves, people like me who got the first big break at the time and those who remember the bad years of the 1970s. But I believe it will be felt all across Britain and other parts of the world. In my eyes, she really was a tremendous person.
Mrs Thatcher would undoubtedly make a good Prime Minister today. She didn’t sit on the fence, she wasn’t afraid to tell anyone, even world leaders, what she thought, not like the political weaklings who drove us into the current economic crisis. She certainly wouldn’t put up with what goes on today like the expenses scandal of a couple of years ago.
Pimlico Plumbers are going to pay a tribute to Mrs Thatcher by having our people wear armbands and a tribute in the windows of all our vans up until seven days after her funeral to really show a sign of respect to an absolute great lady.
