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Liverpool reacts to Thatcher Death
Bars drunk dry, fireworks on streets - and only Monday
THEY always said they would party long and hard in Liverpool on the day that Margaret Thatcher died.
Pete Wylie even wrote a song in anticipation of the event, five years ago, which, at the time, Liverpool Confidential exclusively previewed here.
Three years later, writer Tony Schumacher, got into a lather on twitter after he pondered whether it was time Liverpool forgave the Iron Lady.
If last night's rapturous scenes in parts of Liverpool were an indicator of more widespread feeling in the city, then clearly it still isn't.
While no pub in the city centre was quiet this extraordinary Monday night, dockers' enclave The Casa, on Hope Street, was the place to be, although not after 10pm when it reportedly ran out of booze.
Arrests
And while nobody yet appeared to have got their act together to construct an effigy, there were fireworks, there was chanting and outside Lime Street Station, passengers disembarking the London train were greeted to scenes normally reserved for Grand National Saturday or one of the teams winning the Prem.
Arrests and more organised mayhem were largely confined to Bristol and Brixton. But with Mrs T's funeral more than a week away, bars in those areas where Thatcherite policies bit hardest may be stocking up for an unexpected boom.
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23 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
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What vile people! It was under Thatcher that the rebirth of the derelict docks started and the Garden Festival helped clean up Liverpool's image. Liverpool had been sliding into oblivion for years before Thatcher (I was told by a councillor friend in '73 - six years before the Thatcher government - that one of the senior planners in Liverpool saw his job as "managing Liverpool's decline"). The most destructive force in Liverpool before and during the Thatcher years was the Labour Council under Hatton and his Militant friends. They made Liverpool a no-go area for investment. It was Thatcher and Heseltine who started the job of repairing the massive damage the Labour Council had inflicted on the city. God Bless Maggie!
Who needs history when there are fantasists in Huyton - what happened to the Garden Festival, Brian? So you are suggesting that the famously right wing liberal City council were "managing the decline of Liverpool" (1973-1983) No surprise there since Trevor Jones was openly hostile to working people hence Labour were elected 3 times in response to his own brand of mealy-mouthed Thatcherism. Still, don't let that affect your misty-eyed memories...
The reaction to her death has shamed the people of this country. I despise Tony Blair for his role in Iraq and the countless dead because of his actions. Would I be sad if he died tomorrow? Not at all. Would I celebrate? Definitely not. I have more class than that.
Many celebrating didn't live through the days where you couldn't bury your dead and the litter stacked up or the days when the unions left you sitting in the dark or the country had to go begging to the IMF.
Yes, it was Hatton who ruined this city. Look at Manchester. They agreed with Thatcher no more than this city did but they worked with her. Instead this city fell a generation behind because of its trashed reputation.
Hear hear!
In who's eyes, are we shamed.
The country actually did not need to go begging to the IMF if Jim Callaghan had held on to the end of the term by then the economic figures had been revised up. The Falklands war was as much Thatcher's fault Iraq was Blairs.
I was around for the Thatcher years. I despised her politics and the suffering she caused to the poorer classes...I'm one of them!
But like you, I have a lot more class and self-respect than to celebrate the death of an old lady, someone's mother. Condolences to her family. One day I'll be proud to be called a scouser again, but I won't hold my breath.
In my work in the 80's and 90's driving round Britain, I despaired at the state of politics in Liverpool and the effect on the city. It wasn't just Manchester that worked with the Thatcher government. Just one example; look at the tram systems in Nottingham, and the "peoples republic of Sheffield, all given the go-ahead. Just remind me which government was in power when Liverpools' scheme was cancelled? Which government said Manchester had to introduce congestion charges before any more money for the metro, and still bunged them £1.5 billion even when the charge was thrown out. Yes, Labour again. Led by the Echo, a whole generation has been indoctrinated to believe that all our problems are the result of outside forces, nothing to do with the catastrophic policies of Militant and the hard left labour councils at the time. Ask the gang outside the Casa to name one policy that was reversed during the 13 years of Labour governments. When you see the people who are celebrating, you know she must have got most things right!
seriously John you think there is a comparison to be drawn between the defence of the Falklands and the invaision of Iraq? Chalk and Cheese I'm afraid.
The thing is, Cameron and Osborne are the ones that will wreak unspeakable evil to the weak of this country and will do things that Thatcher never dared do, like sell off the NHS. I will bet any of you there isn't a scrap of this sort of hysteria when the Eton boys die.
Why? It's because she was a woman, and you all know it. The hate and the misogyny I've seen in the past 24 hours - FROM WOMEN - has made me ashamed of my sex and it is completely depressing. Watching that video makes me feel like a stranger in my own city. Disgraceful.
It wont happen for cameron and ozbourne because they are simply not that bad even if you dont like some of their policies.
"It wont happen for cameron and ozbourne because they are simply not that bad even if you dont like some of their policies".
That's the most deluded thing I've ever read in my life
Then you dont read much do you? its just a diferent opinion Dave, diagreeing with you doesnt make a person deluded.
It is naive to think that the whole city is dancing on Thatcher's grave. A great many of us have an understanding of history. The last "anonymous" has it spot on.
Looking at the 'party' outside the Casa, it seems few of the celebrants were even born when Baroness Thatcher was Prime Minister. Typical of Liverpool to celebrate anything. Did Thatcher destroy Liverpool or was it sharp and restrictive practices and ultra-left wing union leaders? Some may think we had it coming to us.
100,000 voted for Maggie in Liverpool. But Mulhearn's Mad Militants never let facts get in the way of a good argument or booze up.
Celebrating the death of any human being is the action of a diminished person.
I really don't think she was a bad as she was painted. And if you don't agree, here's the painting I am talking about.
monikahgallery.blogspot.co.uk/…/t-thatcher.html…
I'm only joking Ms Gallery...it's a lovely painting. I'd buy it myself, but I have central heating.
Emma B, First, if 100,000 voted for Maggie (I presume you mean for your Tory candidate - it's not a presidential system) it wasn't enough to get 1 Tory MP in Liverpool in 1983- the first time in history there had been no Tory MPs in Liverpool. Also, you may remember that Labour were re-elected to govern the city council several times in huge turn-outs even while Kinnock's witchunt continued. If you believe in local democracy, you had the council that most voted for. How about these facts for your good argument....?
6,300 families rehoused from tenements, flats and maisonettes
2, 873 tenement flats demolished
1,315 walk-up flats demolished
2,086 flats/maisonettes demolished
4,800 houses and bungalows built
7,400 houses and flats improved
600 houses/bungalows created by ‘top-downing’ 1,315 walk-up flats
25 new Housing Action Areas being developed
6 new nursery classes built and open
17 Community Comprehensive Schools established following a massive re-organisation
£10million spent on school improvements
Five new sports centres, one with a leisure pool attached, built and open
Two thousand additional jobs provided for in Liverpool City Council Budget
Ten thousand people per year employed on Council’s Capital Programme
Three new parks built
Rents frozen for five years
And it was only 3-4 years back we finaly finished paying off the japanese loans that paid for it.
Whilst never agreeing with her politics and cheering when she left office, I nevertheless think it sad that Thatcher became a lonely old woman with few friends or interests outside the political scene and then dying alone in a hotel room.
How do you know she did?
Because her "loving" kids were living it up on the Costa del Crime at the time. Even the right-wing papers were honest about that bit.