It's an impossibly difficult question to answer because someone like Thatcher (like Thatcher, not specifically her) was needed at the end of the 70's because the Trade Unions were effectively controlling the country and hamstringing the economy. The UK needed someone to make difficult and potentially divisive decisions so control rested with the government and not with well paid figureheads for worker groups. Thatcher's government closed down fewer coal mines than the preceding labour governments and yet that point is consistently used against her.
Ultimately she did a lot of good things but as with any figure in power, a lot of questionable things too. She was certainly a player on the world stage unlike following PM's and didn't kowtow to anyone (unlike the Blair/Bush "partnership") The difficulty in answering your question properly is that there are probably only a couple of people on the forums who are old enough to remember the effects of her government, and whilst i was alive for the time she was PM i have no real impression of it.
PS - UK should go Communist....