Michael Foot was a nice enough guy , not to mention holder of the all England "most worn coat" award.

However, to compare him as a political figure with as much historical significance as Margaret Thatcher is just not on.

Chavez was a buffoon.

I'll stick with the 'hate' methodology then.

She is the only human being I bestow that honour upon during my short tenure on planet earth.

Now dislike, I could compose a very long list.

Profoundly insightful, factual and balanced assessment there, buddy.

Personally, I think it's exactly the time and the place. As I said before, if she was being given a private service paid for by her family, it would be entirely inappropriate to protest. But since they've opted for the big taxpayer funded, Falklands War themed bun fight (with full military honours), people have every right to make their feelings known. I hope they do, and I hope they cause as much disruption as they possibly can without breaking the law.

No, only the power of Citizen's Arrest available to all citizens.

BUT when guarding members of the royal family and visiting heads of state they do carry loaded magazines and are authorised to use reasonable force to protect their charges.

The question arises: how, when and by whom is 'reasonable force' defined?

I have no problem with ripple disliking her or her policies or what happened when she was in power and after, what I do have a problem is people celebrating another humans death, even throwing parties! It's utterly classless and shows a lack of any dignity.

Thankfully, I shall be out of the country.

I think that the arrangements for the funeral are, frankly, the biggest show of arrogance and contempt for many of the people of this country that can be imagined.

To take a figure who, whatever side of the debate you were/are on is generally agreed to have been the most divisive PM in the country for a century and more, and announce that you will have a funeral that is only one step down from a full state one, the first former PM since Churchill to receive such an honour, is quite astonishing.

According to something I read earlier, initial invites were sent out with instructions that those attending would have to wear official mourning wear – apparently an instruction that is only sent out on the death of a head of state. It has been withdrawn after complaints.

And it is precisely the same attitude that saw Cameron decide that Parliament had to be recalled, at taxpayer expense, to allow hours of fawning, when it could have waited until Monday's return from the recess.

Apparently the Speaker was opposed to it but Labour backed it on the basis of feeling backed into a corner and terrified of being see to be disrespectful.

It's like a sort of 'loadsamoney' writ large.

Yes. You keep saying this.

Presumably you'd have thought the same over, for instance, Hitler?

And before you get upset, no, I am not making a comparison – I am challenging your (repeated) claim. If you are consistent, you would apply it to Hitler, Stalin, Mao – etc etc etc.

So, are you consistent?

Comparing her to leaders who instructed mass murder genocide and causes global conflict is a rediculous comparison ...so christophers comments are entirely consistent.

Her record as a leader in most aspects relating to the State of the British economy makes her a rank amateur in terms of ing the people over when compared to the slack jawed one eyed gobe that last lived in nr 10.

As for half the comments on here https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/521669_10151329157810776_664330309_n.jpg" >

Imagine yourself in the position of the person responsible for the safety and protection of the coffin and accompanying dignitaries. You would be intent on doing a good job but also in avoiding any possibility of you being made a scapegoat if anything did go wrong. In other words you would be watching THEIR fronts and YOUR back.

Now suppose a serious, life-threatening incident took place on a part of the route that you had decided didn't require the guards to be armed. Your ass would be grass.

They'll all be armed alright.

Quote: Steve51 "Comparing her to leaders who instructed mass murder genocide and causes global conflict is a rediculous comparison ...so christophers comments are entirely consistent. '" 1 / Were the Khmer Rouge instrumental in genocide and Mass murder yes or no ( if yes go to question 2. If no go give your head a shake) 2/ Did Mrs Thatcher authorise helping and training the Khmer Rouge yes or no ( If yes go to question 3 if no read this then go back to question 2 www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/jan/09/cambodia) 3/ Steve if Mrs Thatcher helped the Khmer Rouge does that make her an accessory to/ complicit in / callous about mass murder and genocide ( if yes then think about your post and christophers, if no then i suggest you start and English O level ). If you answer yes to these three questions then i would say it is legitimate for people to be angry about Thatcher effectively having a state funeral and legitimate for people to protest

Quote: Steve51 "Comparing her to leaders who instructed mass murder genocide and causes global conflict is a rediculous comparison ...so christophers comments are entirely consistent. '" 1 / Were the Khmer Rouge instrumental in genocide and Mass murder yes or no ( if yes go to question 2. If no go give your head a shake) 2/ Did Mrs Thatcher authorise helping and training the Khmer Rouge yes or no ( If yes go to question 3 if no read this then go back to question 2 www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/jan/09/cambodia) 3/ Steve if Mrs Thatcher helped the Khmer Rouge does that make her an accessory to/ complicit in / callous about mass murder and genocide ( if yes then think about your post and christophers, if no then i suggest you start and English O level ). If you answer yes to these three questions then i would say it is legitimate for people to be angry about Thatcher effectively having a state funeral and legitimate for people to protest

Thank you for illustrating your inability to read properly at even a fairly basic level.

I'll be in Scotland, and I'm pretty sure they won't be joining in there either

What's 'rediculous' is your inability to see that no such comparisons were being made. That's really 'rediculous'.