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Government minister ‘very supportive’ of rolling out Margaret Thatcher Day across the UK

31 Mar 2022 2 minute read
Margaret Thatcher picture by Israel Press and Photo Agency (CC BY 4.0).

A UK Government Minister has backed the idea of a Margaret Thatcher Day to be celebrated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Falkland Islands already celebrates Margaret Thatcher Day every January 10, the anniversary of her first visit in 1983.

Speaking in the House of Commons, backbench Conservative MP Sheryll Murray asked whether Margaret Thatcher Day could be rolled out across the rest of the UK.

“There is no doubt that our first female Prime Minister led the way by showing women that they can reach the highest office and do the job well,” she said.

“Will the Minister consider a similar accolade to that of the Falkland Islands and celebrate a Margaret Thatcher day?”

Minister Kemi Badenoch responded that she would be “very supportive of a Margaret Thatcher day”.

“Friend will know that all parties do quite a lot to support women into elected office and across the House we can agree that that is an important thing to continue.”

She added however that the matter was “more a question for the Prime Minister than for me”.

The suggestion may be particularly controversial in Wales, where Margaret Thatcher’s time in office is remembered in large part due to the bitter conflict of the miners’ strike.

When a portrait of Margaret Thatcher was hung in the Senedd in 2008, it divided opinion with then Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins said it was an “insult” to the people of Wales.

The historian Duncan Tanner however credited Margaret Thatcher with the creation of Welsh devolution, saying that she “undermined the belief that British government would cure Welsh ills and did more to swell support for devolution than anyone else”.


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Cog
Cog
1 year ago

We already do, it’s called Halloween

Erisian
Erisian
1 year ago

Surely this is tomorrows headline, when the date would be more appropriate, and might excuse it?

Arwyn
Arwyn
1 year ago

Independence coming in 3, 2 …

John
John
1 year ago

Why don’t we celebrate it on November the 5th?
I have always been uncomfortable about burning an effigy of someone who FAILED to blow up the Westminster establishment on that day.
Yn lle dydd Guto Ffowc gawn ddydd Magi i’r Mwg!

Lolly Mountjoy
Lolly Mountjoy
1 year ago

Westminster keeps refusing a St David’s day but this is suggested 🤷‍♀️

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
1 year ago
Reply to  Lolly Mountjoy

This was my immediate thought, too, Lolly.

How many times has Oliver ‘Cymru’ Twist gone to Westminster to beg for our National Day to be commemorated as a public holiday and been dismissed by so many (and different) vacuous arguments? Scotland and Ireland (North and South) have their patron saints acknowledged – why not us?

And then this comes along …

Still, as others have already commented, if it increases the dragon’s fire to burn for independence, I’m all for it.

Who’s available to collect for ‘Penny for the Maggie’ on 5 November?

Llinos
Llinos
1 year ago

Ewww! A national day for a divisive politician. Only one party could come up with such an idea.
Maybe we could have Andrew RT Davies Day in Cymru?

Llinos
Llinos
1 year ago

Whatever happened to One Britain Great Nation day? Anyone remember that?

Marc
Marc
1 year ago

What is the real point of these ridiculous proclamations we seem to be constantly subjected to from some obscure Tory backbencher? Every one knows that it would be a disaster, the Tory’s are playing a very strange game putting out the fire of the independence movements with gasoline.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago

The Welsh history books will mention the miner’s strike and a little asterisk beside her name will lead to the footnote; “Died alone and abandoned in a hotel by her children and buried at sea due to the certainty that any grave would be desecrated.”

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago

I think the fact that, on the week Thatcher died, the song “ding dong the witch is dead ” entered the music chart at No2, and a proposed statue of her in Grantham, was scrapped due to fears of vandalism, tells people all we need to know of how the public feel about Margaret Thatcher. More nonsense from a Tory minister

Kurt C
Kurt C
1 year ago

Daily we are reminded of her devious work. Do we really need an anti Christmas day of hell

Gareth W
Gareth W
1 year ago

We can all burn effigies and sing Ho Ho The Wicked WItch…

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
1 year ago

No school milk – day?

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  I.Humphrys

Plenty of negatives aroused by the mention of her name. Therefore we SHOULD have a day to remember how single minded Anglo Brit supremacists are such a destructive influence. It might even accelerate the rate at which dopey servile Welshies get off their backsides and demand liberty from the toxic London centred mess.

Mick Tems
Mick Tems
1 year ago

Why on earth should we celebrate a despicable enemy of the Welsh Nation? Just one more Tory insult that is building up the overwhelming evidence for independence.

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
1 year ago

Please give us a John Redwood Day. Please …

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
1 year ago
R W
R W
1 year ago

The Tories showing us once again that they have a suicide wish. Keep up the good work!!

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

Imposing ‘Thatcher day’ on us will turn that ‘push for Independence’ into a sprint.

Quornby
Quornby
1 year ago

This MP is in need of medical help.

Dafydd
Dafydd
1 year ago

This idea makes me want to vomit!

Llefain
Llefain
1 year ago

They are just intentionally trying to goad people at this point. They want societal battle lines drawn crystal clearly.
Thatcher, the royals, and the ghosts of empire vs. autonomy, independence, and our own identities.

The middle can not hold.
If this is the real “culture war” the want, I will pick being Welsh and free any day, diolch.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Margaret Thatcher Day lol. Well I’ve heard everything now. Do we all wear blue rinses and drag our knuckles along the ground like most Tories do?

Look, if the Conservatives want to celebrate Thatcher Day, do it in their own time, not force it on a long suffering Welsh people whose communities are still dealing with the effects of her devastating policies, even today.

Richard
Richard
1 year ago

April / Ebrill 1 ?

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
1 year ago

I guess it is designed to create a culture war

Last edited 1 year ago by Stephen Owen
Mr Williams
Mr Williams
1 year ago

Words escape me!

Johnny Gamble
Johnny Gamble
1 year ago

24 Hours too early for April Fool.

CJPh
CJPh
1 year ago

In other news, Drogheda Town Council have announced the commission of a 40ft bronze statue of Oliver Cromwell…

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
1 year ago
Reply to  CJPh

Pity that he lived in the 17th century. He’d be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, today.

(And you think I’m joking. Consider the case of Henry Kissinger who actually was …)

Stuart Cane
Stuart Cane
1 year ago

Do we all get to sing Tramp the Dirt Down by Elvis Costello?

Grayham Jones
1 year ago

Not in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Penderyn
Penderyn
1 year ago

Most young people don’t even know who this man is though

defaid
defaid
1 year ago

Duncan Tanner might say the same about No 10’s current incumbent. Thatcher is nothing to celebrate.

Iorwerth ap Wyllt
Iorwerth ap Wyllt
1 year ago

I’m all for it, I’m 100% behind this idea as it will only add to the flames of independence. Every royalist propaganda book, unionist propaganda song that kids are forced to sing, and every day dedicated to the name of people that took the bread off the table of our parents and grandparents means another person finally quotes the words of Dafydd Iwan – “Dwi wedi cael hen ddigon ar fod yn Gymro bodlon, o hyn ymlean rwyf eisiau bod yn rhydd”

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