Iona Napier
THE news that the Iron Lady would give her name to a square in central Madrid generated controversy and even vandalism last September.
And now, Madrid’s new mayor has announced Margaret Thatcher square is set to surrender its name, just months after being unveiled.
Podemos party has reportedly piled the pressure on to left-wing Mayor Manuela Carmena to rename the plaza in the heart of the Chueca district.
Pablo Iglesias’ left-wing protest party’s reasoning is that a public place should not bear the name of the former British prime minister who ‘enslaved the working classes’.
The fact that the plaza was also inaugurated by former mayor Ana Botella – who was never officially elected – is another stumbling block.
Botella, who opened the square, described Thatcher who died in 2013 as an ‘inspiration’.
Since the PP’s 24-year Madrid rule has finished, the new powers are loath to promote such an icon of conservative politics.
The 2,000m2 space, between Calle Goya and Paseo de la Castellana, is yet to have a new name.
But rumours suggest Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla could replace Thatcher.
‘enslaved the working classes’ are they having a laugh? We could do with her in charge now and that comes from someone who hated her at the time.
Meanwhile, over in Greece, the loony left has landed.
Maggie was OK. All the rubbish spouted about the miners strike, she tried to negotiate but Scargill said all or nothing, he was in it for him, last I heard was the union was trying to get him out of a Union property and issues about a council house he had.
She created a legacy, a legacy of selfishness, greed & ignorance towards the fellow human. She wanted to set aspirations for people, those aspirations were largely centred around treating other people like a door mat in order to step on them, so you can take what you want for yourself. She was largely the start of the mess that we see in the UK today & continue to see under the legacy of the tory’s. Anyone want to live in another country?
I for one will be pleased at the re-naming of the plaza.
I think you are deluded Roberto. Perhaps you should answer your own question and go and live in another country – why not try Greece then you can see what left wing socialism can achieve. As the great lady once said socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money. It should not be changed.
Roberto,
spot on and the usual stupid Thatcherite replies are par for the course. ‘Left wing Socialism’ are you serious LOL.
Same idiots will talk about Communist Russia and China – there never was a Communist system in either country, it was State Capitalism in Russia and both countries have morphed into full blown Oligarchies the same as the USA.
The Labour party was only ever vaguely Socialist, never had any balls, even in 1926.
The rest of Europe was quite happy for the Fascist colonels to run Greece for over 30 years. Grafting away all the money and allowing the super rich Greeks to pay no taxes, same as the Greek Orthodox church which welcomed the Fascist Italians and Nazi Germans with open arms and which is paid huge subsidies from ordinary tax payers.
Syriza did not in any way create the mess that Greece is in today that was all down to crony Capitalism – they have only been in power for 6 months you idiot – go back to school and read some factual history or stop spouting Nasty party b/s or – stop lying.
Stuart……Greece took,took,took,…..far more than it put in!…its citizens took early retirement at 45,and some it has been reported at 36!!!!!…it enjoyed itself and now its all come back to bite its arse……and guess what we,the ones who budget for the future are expected to bail them out!!!….joke…..BTW did you see unburied bodies pre Thatcher govt 1978 ish??? No?…how about the 20 foot high piles of rubbish in central London????….I did.!!!! the unions needed breaking at the time……..God bless Maggie…..pity we have not got a leader like her now…bring on the insults
pg,
more stupid lying comments – retirement at 45 and better yet at 36, who told you this your sturmbahnfuerer? now supply data to back up this absurdity – of course you can’t – Dr Goebbels you are’nt, his b/s was well thought out before he spoke.
The ordinary Greeks did’nt take anything it was done by the elites/the bankers and the super rich – what part of this do you not want to accept.
When I worked in the Netherlands in 79/80 I was having lunch in the canteen one day and had to listen to an old man, nearing retirement who told me – “you know we had better conditions of employment BEFORE WW11 than you have today in the UK” – think about that Thatcherite and also while your at it chew on how prosperous the Dutch are and their standard of living, not just for some but for everyone.
One Easter Sunday I was working with a friend doing NDT (non destructive testing) work in a production plant. When we arrived we found the workers finishing an excellent Indonesian meal supplied by the management. They also had crates of karnemelk (very popular in the Netherlands, as well as being a very healthy drink) soft drinks/mineral water and beer for when they finished their shift. Can you imagine the greedy incompetent management anywhere in the UK treating their production workers like that – no of course you can’t.
The only way you could tell who was the engineer in charge was that his white coat was a little cleaner than the rest. I ran into quite a few toolmakers who had moved to the Netherlands they all said that the only way they would leave the Netherlands was in a bodybag. When I asked them why, they all said the same thing – excellent salaries,real respect from management, superb meals subsidized by management and the surprise they felt when they realised there was only one canteen for all production staff and management. That they would retire on 90% of their final salary.
Same can be said for /Denmark/Scandinavia/Austria. That’s the reason Thatcherite for all the strikes and the Winter of Discontent.
And now the Greek people have shown that they will not be bullied and frightened like the cretinous percentage of Scots that voted no in their Referendum. Make no mistake little Thatcherite there are people in Europe, all over Europe who have the courage to stand in the light. It will be tough for the Greeks but they will survive – they can feed themselves unlike the UK that needs to import over 65% of it’s food.
It could be that this is the beginning of the end of the Euro, which has only ever benefited German industry and no one else. You cannot have monetary union without fiscal union all of which is way over the head of a brainwashed serf.
I strongly suggest you get some therapy ,Mr crawford!!!
Crazy left wing lies & stupidity
Mr Crawford,I did reply but the olive press as per the norm these days,are very,very touchy on comments….I’mnot talking about out and out offensive…they obviously have to be censored,but what i can’t understand is that you can allow personal comments to me but I’m not allowed to reply….as mild as Idid………olive press ive tried looking at things from your point of view,with regards to moderating my comments ,but I’ve come to the conclusion I can’t stick my head so far up my own a**e and allowing one rule for one person and yet allow different rules for others!!!…………why don’t you just blacklist me and have done with it !!!!!!!!!!
Your just winding me up now olive press!!!!!!! If I have a nervous breakdown on your head be it!!!!
Stuart, you need to tone it down – stop making personal insults and try to tolerate and respect the many people who do not share your views. This is a newspaper comments section, not a dedicated website for rabid Margaret Thatcher haters.
pg & Jane,
if you had any rational answers to rebut what I have stated you would have made them. Jane – this is not a dedicated website for Margeret Thatcher acolytes – LAUGH OUT LOUD.
You certainly have all the answers Stuart Crawford. Unfortunately, resorting to personal insults tells us all we need to know about you. Rational arguments do not need such infantile behaviour. Are we supposed to be impressed that you can LAUGH OUT LOUD at your own witty comments.