Margaret Thatcher Death Celebrated By Critics

11 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 786 Views

The death of Baroness Thatcher has been welcomed by critics of the former prime minister – who labelled her “heartless” and claimed she “destroyed” parts of the country.

As tributes to the 87-year-old flooded in from across the globe, widespread condemnation of her legacy – particularly on social media – showed her ability to polarise opinion remained.

Grievances against the former Conservative leader take in her treatment of miners in the 1980s, withdrawal of free milk for school children, her role in the response to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and the controversial Poll Tax.

Critics also point to her description of Nelson Mandela as a “terrorist”, her government’s support for Pol Pot, her actions in the Falklands War and her subsequent backing of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Long-running website isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk was amended to simply state the word ‘YES’, while asking: “How are you celebrating?”

And a Facebook campaign has been launched to take Judy Garland’s song ‘Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead’ to number one in the music charts.

David Hopper, general secretary of Durham Miners’ Association, told Sky News he was celebrating turning 70 today after working all of his life at the Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland.

“It’s the best birthday I’ve ever had, I’m celebrating,” he said.

“She was a heartless woman who tore the heart out of the mining communities of the North. She was a disaster for the workers of this country, although millionaires like those in David Cameron’s Cabinet certainly did alright.”

Those castigating Lady Thatcher in the wake of her death have been accused of bad taste, but Mr Hopper added: “Thatcher did more damage to our communities that Hitler did during the Second World War.

“How can you pay tribute to someone who did that?”

MP George Galloway provoked angry responses on Twitter today after apparently expressing his satisfaction at Baroness Thatcher’s demise.

The Respect MP for Bradford West wrote “Tramp the dirt down” on his feed – the name of a song by Elvis Costello in which he attacks the former prime minister.

He followed that with another Tweet, saying: “Thatcher described Nelson Mandela as a ‘terrorist’. I was there. I saw her lips move. May she burn in the hellfires.”

And Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams issued a statement, which said: “Margaret Thatcher did great hurt to the Irish and British people during her time as British Prime Minister.

“Working class communities were devastated in Britain because of her policies.

“Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge.”

source: www.skynews.com

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