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6 Comments John Stalker By John Stalker Margaret Thatcher dead: Authoritarian ruler took us to the brink of becoming a police state 10 Apr 2013 01:14 Former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester says she turned the police into a paramilitary force and put us on to a war footing
Britain has never been closer to becoming a police state than when Margaret Thatcher was in charge. As Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester I saw at first hand how her authoritarian policies could have permanently shattered the bond of trust between the police and the people. She turned the police into a paramilitary force and put us on to a war footing. I met her several times during my time as a senior police officer. She took an uncommon interest in law and order, and always acted as if she was the Home Secretary as well as the PM. That was never more clear than during the miner’s strike in 1984 when I believe Margaret Thatcher took Britain to the brink of becoming a police state. She decided that “her” police force was going to keep the miners and pickets under control. It was all about showing who was boss. In 1974 changes in policing had seen the formation of huge new forces, such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Strathclyde. A decade later, the Thatcher government decided to bring them together in a “mutual aid system” to deal with the miners – a nationally mobilised police force working under a central command at Scotland Yard. And it had one of the biggest impacts on the independence of policing because it put chief constables secondary to government wishes. We got streams of instructions from the Home Office on how the strike should be handled, cleverly covered with legal fig leaves saying things such as, “of course the Chief Constable has complete control over operational matters, but this is our advice”. They left me staggered. Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk... Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by rigel4
I am completely acccurate .
I will discontinue this conversation now - you are entitled to believe what you will.
PS please do not try to 'educate' me with the Daily Mirror !edit on 10-4-2013 by HelenConway because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by rigel4
I am completely acccurate .
I will discontinue this conversation now - you are entitled to believe what you will.
PS please do not try to 'educate' me with the Daily Mirror !edit on 10-4-2013 by HelenConway because: (no reason given)
Exactly! They should be more concerned with outing the monsters that thatcher spawned.
Originally posted by HelenConway
Rejoicing at the death of a former Prime Minister, jumping for joy in the streets just shows that Britain has a nasty undercurrent of small minded people with a narrow focus.
MANY people in these threads have written LISTS of her wickedness. They dont need to repeat "unsubstantiated phrases".
This country has been overtaken by people who really do not think for themselves but repeat parrot like unsubstantiated phrases like..
‘’ Thatcher is to blame [add anything here]’’
Many are "uninformed" because their source of information - television newspaper and radio, spew out non stop drivel and lies.
Is this because they are uninformed ? unthinking?
So the few who took part...I think your op mentions a few hundred, have turned the 60 million into "cold, nasty, small minded "?
We are all entitled to our views and I did not agree with all of Mrs Thatcher’s policies, but to dance on her grave is vile. It shows the extent to which Britain has turned into a cold, nasty, small minded place.
I totaly agree with that.
Britain is in terminal decline – not because of Mrs Thatcher but because it is populated with unthinking, cruel people who are brainwashed and media saturated. The media any media does the thinking for them these days.
Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by rigel4
what did I misspell ?
Originally posted by HelenConway
reply to post by woodwardjnr
Exactly my point - moral decay - dancing on graves is a symptom !! Hence Good Bye Britain a very different country from the one I grew up in and my parents and grandparents grew up in. Sad.