Her legacy

I have made very clear in recent editorials in this space of my admiration for Margaret Thatcher but I do feel that the government are wrong to organise a state funeral with military honours for the great leader. I sincerely doubt that Baroness Thatcher would have wanted 10 million pounds of tax payer´s money spent on her funeral. I suspect that she would have been horrified. The security operation is one of the biggest since the Olympic Games. It also sets a rather dangerous precedent. Will other Prime Ministers receive similar state funerals? The coalition government, with the funeral plans, are clearly making a point; she was the greatest Prime Minister since Winston Churchill who also received a full state funeral. In these hard times, and also when Britain is divided over the Thatcher legacy, it would have been better to have a smaller and more low-key event. The 10 million price tag is like a red rag to her critics and also there will be some who will be doing their best to disrupt the proceedings. Listening to MPs in the House of Commons yesterday it was clear of the admiration the majority felt for her but some Labour MPs questioned the cost of the funeral and the need for such a large scale event. One thing which is evidently clear about Margaret Thatcher; she didn´t like wasting tax-payer´s money. She has won her place in history and her death has re-opened a debate about her legacy. She doesn´t need a state funeral, her legacy speaks for itself.