The funeral of Margaret Thatcher
As her coffin headed to St Paul’s Cathedral, I stood in Parliament Square to watch Margaret Thatcher leave Westminster for the last time.
Though many predicted riots and drama, the mood here was eerily quiet and only one protester appeared. This bedraggled man told those listening that “Margaret Thatcher was responsible for all the ills of the world” and that she was a “dangerous aristocrat”. The cameras snapped away for a moment or two and one journalist bizarrely filmed him on her computer.
Soon those assembled realised that this character was just a bit of a nutter and one member of the press turned to me and said: “I think we’ve heard enough”. He was right. Today is a day to respectfully celebrate a remarkable lady. Whether you liked her or loathed her, Baroness Thatcher will be remembered.
No matter what people might think of Baroness Thatcher’s political career, even if they feel that their own lives have been ruined, a death and a funeral is not the time to espouse those views, especially in such a venomous and disrespectful fashion. Others will only find this distasteful, and would be much more open to other views expressed more respectfully at a later date.