No respect from George Galloway as he tweets on Thatcher death

BRADFORD MP George Galloway provoked angry reactions on Twitter today after apparently expressing his satisfaction at the death of Baroness Thatcher.
Bradford West MP George GallowayBradford West MP George Galloway
Bradford West MP George Galloway

The Respect MP for Bradford West wrote “Tramp the dirt down” on his feed - the name of a song by Elvis Costello in which he attacks the former Conservative prime minister.

Mr Galloway’s tweet provoked anger on Twitter.

The Sun’s political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, wrote: “I suppose this was inevitable from him.”

Margaret Thatcher has died at 87Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
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And the Daily Mail’s deputy political editor, Tim Shipman, replied: “What a stunningly unpleasant tweet.”

Mr Galloway’s reference comes from a song by Costello, in which he sings: “When England was the whore of the world / Margaret was her madam.

It continues: “’Cos when they finally put you in the ground / They’ll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down.”

Unions and campaign groups were also critical of the policies Mrs Thatcher followed while Prime Minister.

Margaret Thatcher has died at 87Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
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Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: “Mrs Thatcher was a powerful politician who will be remembered by many for the destructive and divisive policies she reigned over which in the end, even in the Tory party, proved to be her downfall.

“Her legacy involves the destruction of communities, the elevation of personal greed over social values and legitimising the exploitation of the weak by the strong.”

Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop The War Coalition, said: “Margaret Thatcher laid the basis for policies which wrecked the lives of millions in Britain. But she should also be remembered as a warmonger.

“She led alongside Ronald Reagan the escalation of the Cold War. She introduced cruise missiles to Britain and fought the Falklands war. Her arms deals with Saudi Arabia were notorious. Her legacy was Tony Blair who built enthusiastically on her record.”

Margaret Thatcher has died at 87Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
Margaret Thatcher has died at 87
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Bradford Respect MP George Galloway tweeted: “Tramp the dirt down.”

Most of the country’s leading unions preferred not to make any comment about her death.

Colleagues of Arthur Scargill, the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, who clashed bitterly with Mrs Thatcher during the 1984/85 miners’ strike, said he was unlikely to make any comment.

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