'No state funeral' for Thatcher (She is still alive)

The Scotsman.com ^ | 8-9-2006 | Staff

[Colonel Kangaroo]

'No state funeral' for Thatcher TONY BLAIR has ruled out the possibility of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher being given a state funeral.

A spokeswoman for Number 10 said: "All that we can confirm is that there are no such plans and it is not appropriate to comment further."

Mr Blair's stance on funeral arrangements for Lady Thatcher, 80, was revealed after a reported protest by Rosie Cooper, MP for Lancashire West, over reports that civil servants in the Cabinet Office were drawing up detailed plans for a state funeral for the ex-Tory leader. Miss Cooper wrote to Number 10 saying that some of her constituents were appalled at the idea.

John McTernan, Mr Blair's political secretary, replied saying that he could confirm that there were no such plans.

Tory MPs have accused Mr Blair of using his stance on Lady Thatcher's funeral arrangements to appease left-wing Labour MPs.

Lady Thatcher, who is reported to be in good health, was prime minister from 1979 to 1990.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1156202006

Last updated: 09-Aug-06 12:08 BS

[Cheburashka]

LOL!

Actually, he never did one.
---
I heard back around the time of Reagan's funeral that Billy Jeff had never turned in the plans. After seeing Reagan's funeral, I somehow suspect that he has turned the plans in now.

I imagine things like: the lying in state will be in the stadium the next Superbowl will be held in, for the two weeks between the Conference championships and the Superbowl.

On the day of the Superbowl, the casket will be moved to the seat in the first row on the 50 yard line for the duration of the game.

We could actually have fun coming up with extravagant, ridiculous and thoroughly believable things that Bill Clinton would want for his funeral ceremonies.

[Howlin]

You just can't take the low class out of them, can you?

[pepperdog]

"Well they fired Winston Churchill too."

Good point. Do you suppose there are still Englishmen of the caliber of these two waiting to take the stage when history calls?

[RichInOC]

I suspect either he doesn't want to contemplate dying any time soon, or he actually believes he's exempt.

[Cheburashka]

You just can't take the low class out of them, can you?
---
You might as well try to take all the atoms out of his body, and leave the rest.

[sgtbono2002]

Do you suppose there are still Englishmen of the caliber of these two waiting to take the stage when history calls?


If there are they are doing a good job of hiding.

[republicanwizard]

Take out the socialist, and that would probably be a good description of you.

Honestly, only Wellington and Churchill have received state funerals. Gladstone and Disraeli did not. Thatcher is more on their level, than with Wellington and Churchill. She was a great Prime Minister, but not on the same level.

It's like putting Reagan on a level with Washington and Lincoln. No, it doesn't work like that. Reagan was a fantastic President, but that doesn't mean he equals either those two.

[snugs]

I would have been amazed if she got a State funeral it is reserved for head of state or senior royalty and a very few others such as Churchill.

She was a great PM but not on the level of Churchill

[snugs]

I do not particularly care for Blair and most of his support for GWB and the US in IMHO is to give him the world stage he craves.

On the other hand the by product has helped my country and the global fight on the WOT so in this I gladly support him.

[snugs]

It is normal to discuss this in Britain

[snugs]

The nation was not at war though

[snugs]

Labour MPs who are in the majority would not vote for it because of their deep down hatred of the women and her policies and some of their dislike of their own leader is because they see him as Thatcher light.

Conservative MPs would be reluctant to vote for it as well because they would fear that countrywide she is not popular and is regarded as a polorizing figure by many who do not understand what we were up against at the time.

Also I am not quite sure if it is an open vote or if the privvy council is involved, I am sure it is quite a complex process.

I loved Margret Thatcher but IMHO I would not grant her a state funeral because this would lead to all future PMs expecting one including the current one. I wonder if his comments (reported) were an attempt to ensure if Margret Thatcher got one he would.

[snugs]

A lot of funerals would look like a State Funeral but would not be an official one.

[nuconvert]

So, Prime Ministers don't normally get one?

[snugs]

Well put that is exactly it and the reason that although a loyal supporter of Margret Thatcher and the right of the Conservative Party I would not push for a State Funeral for her.

[snugs]

Correct Royalty only Churchill was an exception most PM are just private affairs some are larger ones depends really on what they want or what their families want.

Edward Heath's was a small event in the terms of your President's funeral but attended by many top official in both parties past and present.

The bottom line is the a British PM is not head of state nor head of the military they are leader of their party and therefore have the premier cabinet position.

[Boazo]

I like your homepage.

[Lurker]

Lovely picture. Thank you for posting it.

L

[nuconvert]

Thanks for the info

[JCEccles]

She was a great PM but not on the level of Churchill

No one was on the level of Churchill. In the US, we would have to go back to Lincoln or Jefferson to find someone in the same ballpark--and I mean no disrepect to Ronald Reagan who will ultimately take his place as one of the six or seven greatest US presidents.

Churchill, Jefferson, and Lincoln shared one ability that placed them above all other western leaders: extraordinary skill with the English language, especially the written word. It is difficult to overestimate how important this skill is in separating the magnificent from the great.