The recent passing of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher has been particularly divisive around the country, and the print industry is no exception – at least, that seems to be the case following a recent raft of interviews conducted by a leading industry publication.

PrintWeek first asserted that Mrs Thatcher was best known for being the person who “broke the stranglehold of hugely-powerful trade unions”, including print unions Slade, Sogat, Natsopa and the NGA. Emotions still run high over this issue – notably with Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke, who spoke to the magazine.

He said: “She saw the opportunity of unleashing the full force of the law against working people. She was vicious and she had a view of what she wanted to do. In doing so, with the miners and printers who were both brilliantly organised, she set about to destroy both. We’re still here, and she’s not.”

However, others saw Thatcher as a much more positive thing for the business. Chief executive of Leeds-based Lettershop Group John Hornby retorted: “We were able to work together as equal partners with the workforce once the union had been made to realise their responsibilities. It’s all very well being confrontational, but that’s not good business.

“If those sorts of [unionised] conditions existed today, there wouldn’t be a printing industry,” he concluded. “You either loved her or you hated her, but it was what the country needed at the time.”