Thatcher is not dead

I never thought I would suffer the merest twinge of sorrow for Britain's Baroness Thatcher, and it is just the merest particle.

A few months back Tony Blair was publicly planning a state funeral for the still breathing old warrior of neo-liberalism. Now the leader of her own party, the Conservatives, is busily burying her again.

I suspect he is intent on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, hateful as many of their policies are to me, the old party exists to champion greed and the excesses of the even moderately right.

David Cameron, said leader, might well succeed in changing the direction of the party, but the cost of that is surely to leave many of its followers without a platform they can relate to.

He told the Conservative conference: there was "no going back" and that it had to come to terms with homosexual marriages, single parents, the party had to accept the similar commitment of civil partnerships between homosexuals.

Steady on old boy! These are fundamentals you are toying with.

Conservatism has a long, historic hold in Britain. It is as inbred in that country as the class structure. Its very existence as a champion of the right serves good and vital purposes. First is allowing moderate rights to keep the ugly end of that spectrum in check. Take away the platform and the uglies will be forced to coalesce with the even uglier extremes, giving the neo-nazis et al, some semblance of recognition.

But even more than that, and witness the parlous states of governments existing in an void of real opposition, there will be nothing to check and counter government actions.

It is said, in politics, that a government is only as good as its opposition, and Cameron seems certain to destroy even the weak opposition the Conservatives provide.

No David, leave it be. Let those of us who detest conservative politics bury the Baroness. You get on a talk to your constituency, build from where they are. It's better for all to have things in their proper place and for the Conservatives that is not centre left.