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Postponed Thatcher debate takes place at Holyrood | Postponed Thatcher debate takes place at Holyrood |
(about 1 hour later) | |
MSPs at Holyrood are discussing the legacy of Baroness Thatcher in a debate which was postponed by a day to avoid a clash with her funeral. | MSPs at Holyrood are discussing the legacy of Baroness Thatcher in a debate which was postponed by a day to avoid a clash with her funeral. |
Green MSP Patrick Harvie opened the Holyrood session. | |
He said that despite long being out of power, the former Tory prime minister's ideas were "disappointingly" still dominating public life. | |
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson insisted that Lady Thatcher cared about communities. | |
The title for the Scottish Parliament debate was "There is still such a thing as society". | |
It alludes to the famous line, said by Lady Thatcher in 1987, that "There is no such thing as society". | It alludes to the famous line, said by Lady Thatcher in 1987, that "There is no such thing as society". |
Lady Thatcher, who was Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990, died on 8 April, following a stroke, at the age of 87. | Lady Thatcher, who was Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990, died on 8 April, following a stroke, at the age of 87. |
She was accorded a ceremonial funeral with military honours, one step down from a state funeral. | She was accorded a ceremonial funeral with military honours, one step down from a state funeral. |
Ms Davidson told the chamber: "I never knew Margaret Thatcher. She left office years before I was even eligible to vote. But she - more than any other politician or public figure - shaped the Scotland and the world that I grew up in and that we live in today. | |
"The corruption of the quote on which today's debate is based is often used to try and portray Margaret Thatcher as an anti-society individualist who didn't care about communities. | |
"She didn't believe - as some did - that society was the same as the state, that it was government departments, faceless bureaucracy. | |
"She believed in people. And believed that the tapestry she talked of was woven house by house, street by street and town by town. And I believe that too. | |
"All our lives are improved by the contributions of men and women who decide to take responsibility for their community, and contribute towards the wellbeing of their fellow citizens." | |
The Green-Independent group backed debate had been planned to take place on Wednesday, the day of Lady Thatcher's funeral. | |
However, the Scottish Conservatives and Lib Dems had criticised the timing. | |
The group agreed to change the day to Thursday following a meeting of the parliament's business bureau. |