Actually Keith, you make an interesting point but your comparison with Germany should go back further.
It was the Adenhauer (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Adenauer) governments that laid the foundation for Germany's post-war success based on the economic principals of the Austrian school. Over that period in the UK we based our economy on the theories of Keynes. Needless to say that it was Germany (from a low base) whose economy was the most successful in Europe post-war. While we were declining.
Mrs T in 1979 rejected failed Kenseyan policies in favour of the Austrian school in 1979 and laid the foundation of the UK recovery.
Then Germany after reunification lost its way until it reformed its labour laws on the Thatcher model while at the same time Major/Blair and Brown moved us back the other way!!!
So you see Germany's success was the result of Thatcherite style of policies intially but before her day and then again the more recent Thatcherite reforms hold them in good stead in today's crisis!!!