What Can We Expect When ......

[bazwillrun]

people like blair depart this mortal coil ?

look at the damage him and his mob did/have done to the country

judging by the animosity to MT, like the roman games there could be days of non stop celebrating....but then somehow i cant see people sinking to the same levels of embarrassing childish behaviour as all these wannabee leftie revolutionaries are.

[excelsior-1]

bazwillrun

an interesting question

my simple point of view is this......irrespective of ones' political loyalties, and no matter how much bad feeling - or not, i think it is extremely bad taste to be celebrating, holding parties, and threatening disruption at a funeral

[jno]

well, since Maggie is getting the full send-off it will be difficult to deny Blair (who won just as many elections) the same privilege. Which is why I think neither of them should have one.

[naomi24]

//somehow i cant see people sinking to the same levels of embarrassing childish behaviour as all these wannabee leftie revolutionaries are.//

That could be because the people who didn't like him are not wannabee lefty revolutionaries. ;o)

I don't think either of them should have grand funerals.

[LazyGun]

I cannot think of any post WW2 UK PM that can induce such levels of polarisation of emotion, adoration or hate, as Thatcher. Not Blair. not even Brown, although i am sure that there will be people who dislike or even hate them intensely.

Of all, Blair is probably closest to it, with the Iraq War, allegations of croneyism etc, but of all post war PMs, only Attlee and Thatcher truly changed the political landscape.

And of course, as you say, we all know that right wing supporters never ever descend to insult, or childish or violent or tasteless behaviour - they are far too superior for that...

I cannot see any of the now living ex-PMs being afforded the honour of what amounts to a state funeral with all that procession and pomp, at the taxpayers expense though, can you?

[jno]

a precedent has been set, LazyGun.

[askyourgran]

I don't think MT should have the "full works" there was a lot of animosity during her tenure at No10, and the furore is disgraceful. Arthur Scargill, Blair, Brown and the unsavoury George Galloway who is fronting a party called Respect of all things should be rendered down for chip fat instead. Thankfully not everyone is quite so disrespectful, but one doesnt have to make a song and dance about the disposal of these idiots.

[Gromit]

Thatcher didn't deserve this, and when Blair pops his cloggs then I doubt there will be the same nauseating broccoli. I hope not any way. She is supposed to be the greatest yet the pop charts have to be censored because the great british public have voted with their 79p to propel a derogitory song to No.1 and it we are ovef due for some riots so Wednesday is a good enough excuse for some.

I diubt that when Blair goes there will be the same eagerness to celebrate a really bad job of ruining the country. His misdemeanors were mainly abroad and he didn't decimate whole communities here like Mrs T.

That said, I would really love to see out of control old Etonians having a bun fight at Trafagar Square.

[Zeuhl]

I still haven't heard the objective criteria for choosing this level of funeral for Lady Thatcher

Heaven forbid Tony Bliar should qualify too

But if not, why (objectively) not?

[Hopkirk]

Gromit, I suspect most of the people spending 79p for a bit of a laugh at the pop charts were not actually born when she was in power - so I think they can be ignored.

[jno]

Zeuhl, I suspect the criterion is "successful war leader", hence the military trappings.

The implied comparison between her and the Falklands, and Churchill in WW2, seems ludicrous to me, but then I've always thought the Falklands were a waste of space so I would say that, wouldn't I.

The unspoken reason is that her party is in power and determined to celebrate her (despite having ditched her), and charge it all to the taxpayer, which is the way MPs tend to think.

[jno]

Hopkirk, you're allowed to have views on people who died before you were born. My own views on Attila the Hun are quite firm.

[Sharingan]

I imagine the vitriol will be very bit as nasty Bazwillrun, Tony Blair was the one who took us into the Iraq War, so the Muslim community will certainly be pleased to see the back of him and a lot of other people as well.

[joggerjayne]

I don't think people on the "right" are as nasty as the trots.

Even if a scummy little rat like Arthur Scargill were to die, people on the right, who couldn't stand him, would express sympathy for his family, and behave with dignity.

[Zeuhl]

I suspect you're right jno which is rather sinister and non-transparent isn't it?

But I'm still surprised there isn't some sort of formal 'qualification' cobbled together

I also wondered about the 'Leader at time of War' criterion, but in that case The Bliar qualifies too

[jim360]

There is something strange about politics, that for the two main parties of this country their most successful leaders of recent times are also the most hated. Sometimes even by their own party as much as those opposed to them.

[doctordb]

He did wage war in iraq and afghanistan though.

[Zeuhl]

/their most successful leaders of recent times are also the most hated. /

I expect Lady T would rather the 'animosity' than be John (he was all right I suppose) Major

Maggie didn't hate 'working class' people, she just wanted to make them all 'middle class'

[jno]

takes note of JJ's prediction to hold it against her

Actually, JJ, I think these things are cumulative. A semi-state funeral for Thatcher means Blair should be entitled to one, though 10 years ago the idea would have seemed barmy. Likewise, the vitriol directed at Maggie will make many on the right feel they have a licence to respond in kind against, say, Scargill. Current events alter future ones.

But who knows, I could be wrong.

[Answerprancer]

"embarrassing childish behaviour"
Yeah well, you'd know all about that wouldn't you ;-)