NO to a state funeral for Captain Sir Tom Moore AIBU?

[Muncher75]

Just that really. I’ve just been sent an email from change.org asking me to sign a petition to push for a state funeral for him.
Now don’t get me wrong he was a remarkable man and an inspiration... but a state funeral? That will cost us, the taxpayer money we definitely cannot afford in the currant climate. Also I’m sure he’d rather the money go where it’s needed.

[quote Quaagars]**@littlepattilou, toxicity? The worst I've seen is those who say he shouldn't have gone to Barbados, but even at worst that's just an opinion that could have been held back rather than a toxic mentality.

You clearly didn't see the foul tweet earlier from the poster littlepattilou was referencing that seems to have thankfully gone now then.
Yeah, just about going to Barbados, that's all it is.
It's collective toxicity, all these negative threads together drips into something bigger.[/quote]
To be fair she was screaming about the tone of the threads long before my post. So don't blame me.

My mother ran with his daughter in PR circles, this isnt a spontaneous story that rose out of lockdown. His daughter has full orchestrated the PR with connections
I always thought that the reason he raised so much money was because he was marketed so very well. Many people do fundraisers every day, the better you market them, the more you raise. Tom was very easy to market as he was such a lovely chap, with an excellent history in e military. It’s not a surprise that his total raised was so high.

My mother ran with his daughter in PR circles, this isnt a spontaneous story that rose out of lockdown. His daughter has full orchestrated the PR with connections. It doesn't take away from the sweet thing an elderly man did for the NHS but his family need to stop or the media machine will turn on them.

That's interesting and sadly, not at all surprising.

He was a very elderly man used as Tory propaganda to bring positivity to a dire situation.
He doesn’t warrant anything approaching a state event.
If there is a statue it should be to all who have died.

For those mentioning planting a tree for each Covid victim this is already happening

It's good to see this is being done, but I'm a bit confused since one of the directors running it already has another company which offers those bereaved by Covid a chance to plant a tree ... the first is indeed Forest of Memories and the other's Memory Tree

I wouldn't have thought there'd be a need for two?

Thatcher's not-a-state funeral cost several million, would be ironic spending a similar amount on this man's funeral rather than using the funds for the NHS.

A state funeral with 30 people? How would that work?

Totally ludicrous suggestion.

Er...no! Has the world gone mad. This has tones of Princess Diana mania all over again!

Just to say please ignore my PP at 20.48 ... it turns out the second initiative is an online space to memorialise those lost, rather than a second tree-planting exercise

Controversial I know, but the man himself - though I'm sure a very lovely chap - always came across as personable, charming etc - actually didn't do anything spectacular at all.
He walked round his garden.
As a lady near me in retirement bungalows did laps of their courtyard, and another lady near me did laps of their retirement village.

The person who made the difference in all this was his very astute daughter. A marketing expert, who caught the mood of the nation at the time , set up the fund raising link, stirred up the publicity, later appointing someone purely to handle Tom's publicity.

Now, hats off to her. A fantastic job and hundreds of thousands of generous donors, but if we are looking at what the lovely old gentleman himself did, it really wasn't anything other than get a bit of fresh air and exercise.

Where is the knighthood for the skipping sikh ? the two ladies I've already mentioned ? The 86 yr old lady I saw in my newsfeed who had been cooking a dozen savoury pies every day to deliver to where they were delivering food to folks who were struggling? The lady I saw on a TV programme a couple of years ago who had been cooking in a kitchen from where they fed homeless people EVERY week for 70 years ?

I don't want to play top trumps with one person doing more than another. In my mind, we all do what we can and all start with different amounts of energy and drive, but the adultery for this man - who I'm sure was a lovely man - is completely out of hand.

His daughter raised a huge amount for the NHS. That was brilliant. No-one can take that away, but please consider calmly what Tom himself actually did. He fronted a campaign for a few months. Keep it in proportion people.

Prince Phillip doesn't qualify for a state funeral - he's not head of state.

Possibly a royal ceremonial one (like the Queen Mother) but I expect it would be something less ostentatious, maybe at Windsor, but with full military honours

My favourite bit of everything surrounding him last year was when the Dept of Transport said 'no' to the hobbyists heritage flyoast, and the RAF immediately said 'we're not bound by that, let's use the Battle if Britain Flight'

Yes, that was lovely.

A state funeral is bonkers. One with full military honours would be exactly what he’d want and the Army could do it with no problem.

[quote Quaagars]**@littlepattilou, toxicity? The worst I've seen is those who say he shouldn't have gone to Barbados, but even at worst that's just an opinion that could have been held back rather than a toxic mentality.

You clearly didn't see the foul tweet earlier from the poster littlepattilou was referencing that seems to have thankfully gone now then.
Yeah, just about going to Barbados, that's all it is.
It's collective toxicity, all these negative threads together drips into something bigger.[/quote]
Thanks Quaagars.

Yeah I have had a bit of a rant and maybe gone OTT on one of the threads tonight (about Tom Moore) and directed my ire at the wrong people (some people who were just disagreeing with parties for Captain Tom, and saying he shouldn't have a state funeral.) And I apologised for ranting at them.

However, as you say, when you read all the threads and posts about him, a toxicity and nastiness towards Captain Tom, (and people who love him, and are maybe going a little over the top about him,) is starting to build up.

And the nasty post by missrm , (that has now been deleted by mumsnet) was utterly vile, and the scary thing is, that she isn't even admitting that, and is trying to brush it under the carpet like she said 'nothing much...'

All this said, I am pissed off with these threads now, (berating people going a bit OTT over Tom, and even slating him too,) and I am now hiding the threads.

I thought the same when I read that email. Why not let his family have their own private funeral to say goodbye to him?

@mpsw

Prince Phillip doesn't qualify for a state funeral - he's not head of state.

Possibly a royal ceremonial one (like the Queen Mother) but I expect it would be something less ostentatious, maybe at Windsor, but with full military honours

If Churchill got one, I think Philip will. Parliament can approve one for a non monarch in special circumstances.

My mother ran with his daughter in PR circles, this isnt a spontaneous story that rose out of lockdown. His daughter has full orchestrated the PR with connections. It doesn't take away from the sweet thing an elderly man did for the NHS but his family need to stop or the media machine will turn on them.

Yep, a little research will show that the family were very instrumental in the PR and marketing, as that is their business!! Even the grandson was described last year as the “social media and IT director” or some such title, at the grand age of 15, and was supposedly tweeting famous people to push the campaign. It definitely wasn’t a spontaneous story that the papers happened to pick up.

I just feel so sorry for other elderly people who did similar but didn’t have a family PR/marketing company behind them to get the same publicity.

I agree entirely with OP. I got that email too. No disrespect to Sir Tom, he was a light in the darkness.

the adultery for this man - who I'm sure was a lovely man - is completely out of hand

Possibly the best typo I've seen, BackforGood ... I've no doubt Tom himself would have had a good chuckle over it

Do we have to commit adultery to honour the Captain now? I might be up for that.

If Churchill got one, I think Philip will.

Really unlikely. The Queen Mother did not have a state funeral.

State funeral, statue on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square followed by canonisation . Why not ?

@Mudmudingloriousmud

Carol voderman suggested a stone in Westminster abby and I've heard of a statute in trafalgar Square, both or either seem fitting to me.

But not... A state funeral!!

Maybe a statue of him in memory of all those who have lost their lives because of Covid, I would imagine that a state funeral would be the last thing he would want and under the current rules would one be allowed even in HM died?

He was a lovely man but I dont think any taxpayer money should be spent on a funeral or statue or anything.

Especially since he raised an incredible amount of money to give a boost to something our taxes pay for. Don’t think he would be best pleased tbh

Ridiculous idea.

He seemed a lovely man who did a wonderful thing and gave a lot of people something positive to focus on at a very difficult time. It is very sad that he has died. But he should be subject to exactly the same rules and laws as everyone else. My mother's funeral was last week. We were allowed no more than 20 people. And we were not allowed to be with her in hospital at any time. The only thing that makes it even remotely bearable is thinking that it applies to everyone and it is being done for the public good. But it doesn't apply to everyone does it?. I find talk of a state funeral deeply upsetting. FGS think about the families of all the other people killed by this virus.