Funeral For A Fiend

When it was announced that Margaret Thatcher was to be afforded a state funeral, I thought it must have been the decision of someone who was round the bend or made spoons bend. A caller to local radio was one of the few to agree with the plan - as long as they waited until she was dead, I understand- said that she had done so much to change society. I don't need to state the damage this woman's change did to this area of the country, so all that is needed is a statement by the Iron Lady herself, oft-quoted:

"I think we have gone through a period when too many children and people have been given to understand"I have a problem, it is the Government's job to cope with it!" or"I have a problem, I will go and get a grant to cope with it!" "I am homeless, the Government must house me!" and so they are casting their problems on society and who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first.

But it went too far. If children have a problem, it is society that is at fault. There is no such thing as society."

Footnote: Douglas Keay faithfully reproduced MT's reflections on society, although in the transcript the phrase "There is no such thing as society" occurs a few paragraphs below its position in the published text.