to think Thatcher's funeral procession will attract protesters throughout UK?

[Corygal]

Strikes me they're really pushing it with a full military fanfare and procession through the streets of London - it's catnip for every pissed off Briton in the country to come and have a go.

The last people who had this amount of fuss were Queen Mum and Diana, neither of whom exactly attracted violent dissent. But a parade through virtually every main thoroughfare of the capital for Mrs Thatcher...

Just because a lot of people hate her, a lot of people don't. I don't see why the people who are against her should have their way over the funeral, their views are no more important than those of her supporters.

An elected government has decided the type of funeral that MT will have, and that's that.

Not a single one of us approves of absolutely everything our government chooses to spend money on, and this is no different.

Anyone who thinks a funeral is an appropriate time to protest or make some kind of political point is scum. What would they be protesting against anyway - funerals??

They aren't the elected government - they're a coalition. I don't believe there was a space on my ballot paper for 'coalition'.

no delboys not really. still lacks charm I am afraid.

The decision was made before the coalition came into power. By an elected government.

I don't really think it should be their decision. She had expressed a wish for a private funeral.

I think what they would be protesting against, Clouds, is not funerals , but public funds being spent on unnecessarily lavish arrangements when the country is apparently on its uppers.

Perhaps Thatcher's supporters could be invited to contribute to a funeral fund. I think that might make everyone happy. I'd have no objection to her having a big send-off if it wasn't coming out of the public purse.

Good.

Clouds, I imagine they would be protesting the millions of pounds of tax payers money being spent on it, especially as the country is oh so very skint as we are told every 5 minutes

I like Ken Loach's idea.

Whoever 'signed off' the arrangements is largely irrelevant. Our economy is buggered and we are constantly being told we can't afford various things. Shouldn't we be 'cutting our cloth' etc?

We can still afford a decent funeral for one of our greatest leaders.

But we can't though Fargo. Either we (as in the UK) have fuck all money or we don't. Seems there's plenty of money to throw around for old a woman to get a pay rise, now there's even more for a big old send off for another one. Throw her in a pit. She ensured there's plenty of them about

We have plenty of money, we just don't choose to spend it in the right areas, but it's there and lots of it.

Plenty of people are in support of the funeral arrangements though, and they pay tax too.

Saying we can't afford £8m on a funeral because the country is skint is like me saying I can't afford to spend £5 on a lipstick because I don't have enough for an £80 coat.

£8m is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

We do not have plenty of money. How many benefits would the cost of Thatcher's funeral pay for? A day's worth? Not even that.

'AIBU to think Thatcher's funeral procession will attract protesters throughout UK?'

We can but hope.

Well put, Clouds. 8 million wouldn't touch the sides when it comes to the cuts.

I would imagine that the people in favour of having a ceremonial funeral for Thatcher pay a hell of a lot more tax than the people lighting bonfires in the street and calling her an old cunt.

It'll be the same few Class War idiots/SWP cretins that will protest. The general public won't care a bit.