Thatcher Statue: Tell it to the Miners

By

Hazel Speed

They say timing is everything, so is now the right time to install a statue of the Late Baroness Thatcher in Parliamentary Square?

Brexit is a successor subject to the time of the Late Baroness Thatcher’s ‘Regime’ and the bad days which initiated the miners’ strike, Poll Tax/Community Tax, etc. When armed Police on horseback charged protestors in various parts of the country, the likes of which were probably not seen since the days of the English Civil War.

As many people still have scars, literal, psychological and emotional from the days of Baroness Thatcher, when the country was, and still is, divided in two about her as the Prime Minister, why on earth did anyone consider that now was a good time for a tribute of this nature when the country is again divided in two over Brexit!

The Scots had no love for her either, as a good half of others throughout the UK, because she trialled things with the Scots before imposing on the rest of the countries of the UK.

From what I can gather, only those in business or more well healed adored Mrs Thatcher.

On the world scene she was considered by many to be a modern day Boudica, yet domestically she really was, and that usage is used by some in a non-complimentary way!

Questions still remain about the sinking of the Belgrano during the time of the Falklands War.

Like some historic American Presidents, who may have seemed to be ‘nice’ to those abroad, they too were not so caring to their own.

It is rare for the leader of any country to be loved both by their own people, and other world leaders and peoples.

I recall hearing ‘Mrs Thatcher’ using her own higher pitched voice when first becoming known, and a lot of people, whilst not liking its squeaky pitch, thought even less of the subsequent actor’s voice she adopted, saying, ‘why would they trust someone who had to hide their real voice?’

The name Thatcher is ‘off limits’ in some circles even today, just like Brexit. Families and friends just end up in heated arguments if either are discussed.

When the movie came out depicting her life, I heard someone say why would they want to watch it ‘when they had to live through her political cruelty as they had barely survived her policies’. They were most graphic, but I am quoting a more acceptable version.

Pride got in her way when the miner’s strike began as she was asked to let independent experts assess the viability of existing coal mines to see if coal could still be obtained rather than just close many pits, and put thousands of miners out of work. She refused. In subsequent years, I believe a number of miners managed to form a co-operative company themselves, and did indeed mine some pits she had written off. Many say Mrs Thatcher knew there was still coal, but just wanted her political will to be done.

So against all the above, it would be sheer stupidity to go ahead with the idea of a statue in her honour, especially whilst her generation are still around to protest, and they surely will.

One radio comment suggested it would have a lasso thrown around it, and would be dragged off its plinth, in the same way as the statue which once honoured Saddam Hussein (someone else’s words, not mine, but it proves the strength of feeling out there about the Late Baroness Thatcher).

Only a few years ago, whilst on a train journey going into London, a ‘pertinently owned building’ had graffiti – ‘The witch is dead, but the spell lives on.’

Instead of a statue, the argument can also be made, why not spend the money to find a home for the homeless in the Borough of Westminster?

The only glory in doing that would not be to honour man, woman or a Baroness, but God!

Hazel Speed

Photo (c) Hazel Speed – used by kind permision to Tuck Magazine

Hazel Speed is a Philosopher, Writer, and Artist with various creative projects at differing stages of development. Her flaship project is an animation which has produced a film short: www.thepinkprofessor.com. She has also written an E-novel, ‘Just Suppose…!‘ which is available via the attached link.

Art sites: www.candystoreart.com, www.terrificart.com, www.artbadges.co.uk