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Friday 29 October 2010

'Thatcher, burn in hell' says Sunderland Council deputy leader

One of the top North East stories today is the revelation that Florence Anderson, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, has made somewhat controversial remarks about our former PM. It's not every day a local paper has the headline: Thatcher, 'Burn in Hell'.

The comment was made on Facebook - or 'social networking website Facebook' as the Sunderland Echo puts it - and the councillor is pleasingly unrepentant about the remark. The former Eppleton Area Miners' Wives Support Group activist says:

“I’m a miner’s widow. I remember 84/85 as if it was yesterday. I hate Thatcher for what she did to my community, what she did to ordinary people here. I stand by what I said.”

The Sunderland Echo is no left-wing paper and attempts to smear Anderson by referring to her as a "Newcastle Utd supporter", just two days ahead of the Tyne and Wear football derby. Considering 'Tory' and 'Newcastle fan' are insults carrying equal weight in Sunderland, this may trigger a contradictory response for many of the paper's readers. 

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6 comments:

  1. I agree, Anon. Thatcher is vile.

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  2. the issue here is not whether Baroness Thatcher did good or bad during her Prime Ministership, but whether the comments made are appropriate from a Deputy Leader of the Council.
    As an elected member - elected to serve by the people and for the people, a privelege and an honour - she has a resonsibilty under the Code of Conduct for elected members to behave with the utmost respect for her constituents, collegues and fellow politians past and present. How would these comments be veiwed if directed to her from a member of council staff? I would suggest that they would be disciplined immediately and so should mrs anderson. As a Deputy Leader she holds a position of office in the public domain. She represents the council and the citizens of sunderland in her actions and words - be it public or private - and facebook is most definately not private. This is just another example of how someone of mrs andersons ilk can rise to such a position of influence and power without the appropriate scruples and common sense she was born with to keep her private hatered to herself. It will be interesting to see if she is dealt with swiftly, appropriately and justly. An example must be made of this woman and she must be treated as equally as any other council employer who brings front page headline disgrace to their council.

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  3. Surely the issue here is that a little perspective is needed - Ms Anderson feels, as do very many people, that what Thatcher perpetrated on her family and countless tens of thousands of others, was wrong. And she expressed the idea that if someone does something wrong they may be considered a suitable candidate for 'hell'.

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  4. I am not from the North East so only just fell across this blog.

    What a breath of fresh air Florence Anderson is. A politician who can speak from the heart and not apologise for it. Who can rise above the sewer that is the 'management' and 'business speak' of most politicians. As if they are dealing in used cars, not peoples lives.
    I find that far more offensive. It does more harm than any honest heartfelt quip could do.

    Elected people who buy into the 'Murdoch' double speak to take away our jobs, homes and pension forfeit all right's to politeness. We have had 30 years of people falling into that particular trap they set.

    If they try and give vile Thatcher a state funeral, I hope to throw on Cameron and Clegg to make the pire burn brighter.

    Nobel Prize for Florence Anderson

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  5. Ha,ha,ha

    Kinnock & Co never supported the strike & when Sunderland council needed coal it shipped in a huge pile from Columbia when the left were complaining of child labour in that country.

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