Petition for Thatcher's state funeral to be privatised

[Pilchardman]

Whilst admittedly not an inconsiderable number, especially given the short time that it's been up and running, it's still a long way from the requisite 100,000 that present arrangements prescribe for its achievement of legitimacy as a subject for debate in HoC and, since it is in any case by no means one of the more serious issues that has been launched as a petition in the hope of attaining HoC debating legitimacy, I take leave to speculate that it may well run out of steam long before it reaches anywhere near six figures

It might well, but, now standing at 12,083, at this rate it'll only take a week to reach 100, 000.

[ahinton]

It might well, but, now standing at 12,083, at this rate it'll only take a week to reach 100, 000.

If the impetus can sustain itself (or be sustained); maybe it can and will, but my doubts are based on the obvious fact that there are far more important things to petition about than this.

[Lateralthinking1]

I'm not signing it.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm not signing it.

Well I'm vaguely tempted... But, state or privately organised and funded, any ceremonial funeral for Mrs T would involve huge police numbers to control, and entail cordoning off of large swathes of central London.

Caliban?

[Lateralthinking1]

It is premature to be in the public domain. I don't like the elderly being kicked around, whoever they are.

If there is a state funeral, people can decide on whether it is money well spent. I doubt many will think it is.

Privatise it and it opens the door further to rampant privatisation. Emotional considerations will just be ignored.

Obviously the petition has interest - it exposes the double standards - but we know about them anyway.

If guidelines for the future emerge from it, fine, but I doubt they will and these could be considered neutrally.

And the battles are current - best to focus there I think.

[MrGongGong]

I think the Boy David and his chums should pay for it ALL , police crowd control the lot
and I expect his fag to help out as well


We shouldn't waste our empathy on someone who has caused so much hardship and unhappiness..........

the whole "petition" thing is nonsense anyway as its just window dressing , lets discuss the best arrangement of the deckchairs ignoring the iceberg !

[Flosshilde]

I can think of extremely good reasons why not Major, Blair or Brown.

Are you thinking of Iraq, in Blair's case? But Thatcher had her Falklands.

& thinking of the Falklands/Malvinas dispute, perhaps a fitting epitaph for Thatcher would be the single word 'Rejoice' - which could be interpreted in whatever way you pleased.

[Flosshilde]

It is premature to be in the public domain.

Hardly - I'm sure that arrangements are being drawn up already; the 'authorities' don't wait until a public figure has kicked the bucket before they draw up plans for a funeral. There wouldn't be enough time between death & funeral to debate the merits of privatising the latter.

[Dave2002]

Hardly - I'm sure that arrangements are being drawn up already; the 'authorities' don't wait until a public figure has kicked the bucket before they draw up plans for a funeral. There wouldn't be enough time between death & funeral to debate the merits of privatising the latter.

This cropped up this morning on the radio. Personally I don't wish her dead, but I don't see why "the taxpayer" should have to fork out for this. Is it going to be good for economic growth?

I don't like much of what she did, though I do realise that as the first female Prime Minister she broke new ground. She got a few things right, but some things horribly wrong.

[Pilchardman]

Are you thinking of Iraq, in Blair's case?

No, I'm thinking that he's alive.

I have no real objection to going ahead without the relevant certificate, but still, some may prefer the formalities to be in place.

[Pilchardman]

13,201 now.

[french frank]

According to the Mail there's a difference between a state funeral (Churchill) and a ceremonial funeral (Diana, QM). A state funeral needs a parliamentary motion. Mrs T has apparently said she doesn't want a public lying in state with ordinary people filing past her.

[Ferretfancy]

Perhaps she'll peg it after the Queen's Jubilee and just before the Olympics, thus being as tiresome in death as she was in life. We are still living in the wreckage of her so called achievements.

[Lateralthinking1]

According to the Mail there's a difference between a state funeral (Churchill) and a ceremonial funeral (Diana, QM). A state funeral needs a parliamentary motion. Mrs T has apparently said she doesn't want a public lying in state with ordinary people filing past her.

Could this mean that the petition isn't valid or would a ceremonial funeral still be an issue that is the responsibility of the government? As this is becoming hazier, I predict that the petition will be removed.

[MrGongGong]

I'd be delighted with a sad little affair at the local crem in the pouring rain ......... with music by the Smiths