Margaret Thatcher 1925-2013

[robertlouis]

There's a campaign to have the August Bank Holiday renamed Margaret Thatcher day FFS.

As long as it gives us a chance to burn the bitch in effigy once a year I suppose it's ok, but really....

[Prospero]

Is that for real RL? The august holiday.... !!!!

[robertlouis]

Yep. There's a bill going through its second reading.

Although he was divisive in a different way and to a lesser extent, if there's a Prime Minister who deserves commemorating in this way, it would surely have to be Churchill.

This is frankly unbelievable.

[Prospero]

Good grief... perhaps if the day is re-named after the horrid woman we could commemorate each year with riots in trafalgar square.

Any incoming Labour government would surely undo any such a travesty.

[Stavros]

Yep. There's a bill going through its second reading.

Although he was divisive in a different way and to a lesser extent, if there's a Prime Minister who deserves commemorating in this way, it would surely have to be Churchill.

This is frankly unbelievable.

No Prime Minister, repeat, NO PRIME MINISTER is 'worthy' of such a holiday. There are reasons why we don't have an Oliver Cromwell Day just as we don't have an Henry the Eighth Day or an Elizabeth the First Day or an Attlee Day. I think it was a mistake of the US to create Martin Luther King Day and give people the right not to work. I don't think even the USSR gave its proletariat a day off on Stalin's birthday, and I think you still were expected to work in Iraq on Saddam's birthday...but North Koreans do get the day off on Kim il Sung's birthday, presumably because he is still the President, for eternity...

[martin48]

Don't worry there will not be a MT day. A Private Members Bill was proposed but such bills hardly ever make it to law unless the Government provides time for debate. The proposal was led by Peter Bone - grand old right-wing Tory who also proposed such bills as "Withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights".

[Prospero]

a boneheaded suggestion

But the US does have President's Day - celebrating all the "great" men (no women... yet) who've led the nation.

[Stavros]

The third Monday in February, except in Indiana when it is in December. Please don't ask why.

[DirtyDon]

Sorry Prospero but I have been lurking a long time and just recently had the balls to join the community. I really enjoyed this thread, even though I have a sofspot for the old dear having grown up through her time. She defined the 80s in many ways and was a maternal presence for me at least.

[robertlouis]

No Prime Minister, repeat, NO PRIME MINISTER is 'worthy' of such a holiday. There are reasons why we don't have an Oliver Cromwell Day just as we don't have an Henry the Eighth Day or an Elizabeth the First Day or an Attlee Day. I think it was a mistake of the US to create Martin Luther King Day and give people the right not to work. I don't think even the USSR gave its proletariat a day off on Stalin's birthday, and I think you still were expected to work in Iraq on Saddam's birthday...but North Koreans do get the day off on Kim il Sung's birthday, presumably because he is still the President, for eternity...

All very true, but as it's the "August" bank holiday, are we in fact celebrating the first emperor of Rome and the death of the Roman Republic?