Idiotic thickos. Yes, another thread!!!

J08 - well if its not my state - and yours and everyone else's, whose it is? It certainly doesn't belong to the Windsors

I don't think the queen was very fond of Thatcher.

I think a bit more of it might belong to them than it does to me tbh.

I would the Queen would know that better than we do Greatnan

I mean, whether or not she liked her.

From the news film I saw, the people "celebrating" Thatcher's demise couldn't even have been born when she left No 10! Any excuse for a riot.

I think perhaps the queen did have a fondness for Mrs T or she would not be attending her funeral would she? I cannot imagine she is simply obeying orders to do so.

I bet if you sat most of these idiots down and asked them exactly what Mrs thatcher did that they disapproved of they wouldn't be able to tell you. They are simply jumping on an excuse to behave like the thugs they quite clearly are.

But gillybob by bigging up the funeral and not accepting that there are genuine deep felt negative feelings about her, the govt's asking for trouble. It's not about the protests as such it's about completing ignoring that she was a divisive figure. So it looks very partisan - maybe because it is?

I don't think the Queen does 'obeying orders', gillybob but attending a ceremony when she'd rather not, is water off a duck's back.

DH has been remarking on the idiots who probably weren't even born when MT was in power. As you say, any excuse.

I don't think anybody can say the government is asking for mindless violence and disorder. As gillybob and others have said, this is simply "rentamob" - louts who have no idea what they are "protesting" about - just another excuse for civil disorder and they cannot attribute responsibility to anybody but themselves. Who's running this country, anyway - the forces of law and order or gangs of hooligans? Let's not dignify their actions by calling it a "protest" - a protest about what - a protest about things which happened before many of them were born? Come off it. Nobody is "bigging up" (whatever that may mean) this funeral, it is a funeral with full military honours - not a State funeral - and, guess what, you don't need to go to it, watch it on TV or take any notice of it whatsoever. But I expect righteous indignation will fuel a good few pages of threads yet.

I think that the Queen's personal views about Mrs Thatcher are her own affair and irrelevant. The fact is, as others have said, those responsible have completely misjudged the strength of feeling that still exists and the potential for great unrest. The Queen should have been advised not to attend. I am shocked by the decision and as someone who felt a great deal of warmth towards HM at the time of the jubilee, I have been saddened and disillusioned.

I do not condone in any way the actions of the moronic few who have been celebrating Mrs Thatcher's death. I feel no satisfaction that she has gone but neither will I shed any tears. I will simply be remembering my dad who worked his whole life in the steel industry, apart from when he fought in the war. Her policies directly destroyed him, his friends, and our community. That is her legacy. The Queen's decision to attend her funeral seems to confirm that the monarchy will always be wedded to the right and the rest of us should remember our place.

When you say she was a "divisive figure" that must mean some liked and admired her.

And actually quite a lot of people did, and still do.

I think it's mostly the anti's who come on boards like this to express their dislike.

nightowl Well if it makes people realise that the monarchy is not politically neutral but is the natural bedfellow of Conservatism, then at least one good thing has been achieved.

And we don't actually own the queen. She, like the rest of us, belongs to herself. And can make her own decisions.

j08 I don't get your reasoning. Surely, those who are great admirers of Mrs T - and you say there are many - would be just as keen to voice that admiration, as you have done?

Eloethan very true.

I think we do 'own' the queen j08. She is a figurehead who does not do exactly what she wants but is guided by her advisors. She is not supposed to be a political figure - which makes this decision to attend Mrs T's funeral all the more mystifying. I wonder, is it meant to be provocative? Because it certainly feels that way to me.

The queen was obviously very uncomfortable at Diana's funeral, but she was advised by Blair that the nation expected her to go. I am sure she has been advised that it would be good Royal PR to attend Thatcher's funeral, but it may be misjudged. Why just for this PM and not all the other peacetime PMs? It is akin to canonising Thatcher.

What happened when Macmillan, Heath, Douglas-Home, Wilson, Callaghan, etc., died - can anyone remember: was there this big ceremonial hoo ha? The only one I remember is Churchill.

It does feel very much like the establishment is making a very political statement. From what I've read, it seems like it's going to be on the scale of a state funeral even though it hasn't been designated as one.

Discussing the difference between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral with full military honours is as useful as counting the angels on the head of a pin. The Thatcher family is, apparently, paying something towards the cost of the funeral although what proportion has not been specified. The newspapers this morning are bandying the figure of £10 million for security. David Cameron has recalled both commoners and peers from their prolonged Easter holiday to pay tribute to Baroness Thatcher. He's allowing seven and a half hours. When did paying tribute to a past PM who, of course, was the leader of only one of several parties, become compulsory for MPs?

The suggestion that Prince Andrew should represent the Queen is a very sensible one. It would be courteous without being controversial.

The newspapers are also reporting that the police are monitoring Twitter and other social networking sites to gather information about potential protests. In the circumstances, I think even peaceful protest/demonstration is a bit tacky; anything along the lines reported in the link is disgraceful.

My parents and grandparents are staunch labour supporters stemming back from generations of coal mining here in the NE. Visiting my mum and dad last night with my daughter I was quite shocked to see the level of hatred my
Mum and dad still harbour for Mrs T. My daughter said that she thought the parties and the celebrations were totally out of order and quite disrespectful after someone had died. My mum said that it was only to be expected given the way the people of the NE were treat by her government.

I still say the queen is attending the funeral because she wants to ( after all if the queen was allowed a public political opinion I very much doubt she would be a socialist) so probably privately agreed with everything the woman said and did.

Sending "Airmiles Andy" would be a good excuse for him to helicopter himself in (with a group of friends) travel via somewhere a touch more exotic and grab a game of golf.

I have now gone into full Victor Meldrew mode as I have learned that MPs will be returning to Westminster on Monday anyway and could perfectly well do their tributes then instead of David Cameron recalling them early. Any MP who is returning from abroad for this talkathon can claim nearly £4,000 in expenses. What the hell are they going to be saying for seven and half hours when parliamentary tributes to every other dead PM (or other major figures) have never taken more than about 1 hour? This is OTT in every way.

Couldn't agree more, absent. I imagine there will be a great deal of dreary repetition if all the Tory members exercise their right to speak. Unless there's a three-line whip on today's session, I assume MPs have the option not to attend. It will be interesting to see who isn't there. Any bets on Denis Skinner?

Getting back to the OP, I watched a 'protest' on the news last night and don't think any of the 'protestors' were older than about 20. As others have said it is just an excuse.

We don't know that the police and others have not made contingency plans, we have to wait and see.

HMQ is, imo, strong enough to resist pressure if she thinks it necessary and there is still time to change her mind if she is advised it would be the wrong thing to do.

The statement "she never united the country and only ever served the interests of certain groups" makes me ask 'and', don't they all?

I'm not standing up for her, just trying to give a balanced viewpoint. There is no evidence that everything she did was wrong and all the vitriol is just fuelling the trouble some are determined. All those who bought their council houses are grateful to her to cause. Those who were able to start their own businesses because of enterprise grants are happy. Those of us who had to cope with mortgage interest rates of 17% are glad that they were reduced and the national debt is a lot higher now than it was then. Just trying to redress the balance.

Belated reply to Eloethan and Night owl. The haters are usually noisier. The Queen is a human being in her own right. You can't own another person (stating the obvious here #needsmust )

They are going to have the SAS and the SBS out. #suckitup