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IRELAND’S PRESIDENT HAS extended his condolences to the family, friends and political colleagues of Margaret Thatcher on the occasion of her death.
In an evenly-worded statement, Michael D Higgins said the Conservative leader secured her place in history for being the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain.
He said she will be remembered as one of the most conviction-driven leaders “who drew on a scholarship that demanded markets without regulation”.
Her legacy and impact will be debated for many years to come, as will her policies in relation to Northern Ireland, added Higgins.
However, he did acknowledge her role in signing the Anglo-Irish agreement, recalling it as a “valuable early contribution” to the peace process.
During his time as a Labour politician, Michael D Higgins stood in staunch opposition to the policies of the Thatcher government. In his last Dáil speech, he referenced her “mad view” that there is “no such thing as society”.
Here is today’s statement, in full:
I am sorry to learn of the death of Lady Thatcher.To have been Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister means that Margaret Thatcher’s place in history is secure.She will be remembered as one of the most conviction-driven British Prime Ministers who drew on a scholarship that demanded markets without regulation.
The policies of Mrs Thatcher’s Government in regard to Northern Ireland gave rise to considerable debate at the time. However, her key role in signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement will be recalled as a valuable early contribution to the search for peace and political stability.
Lady Thatcher’s political career, its impact and legacy will be discussed and debated for many years. What is undeniable is that the strength of conviction in her beliefs was acknowledged by those who robustly opposed her, as well as by those who enthusiastically supported her.
I extend my condolences to Lady Thatcher’s family, her friends and political colleagues.
She was no lady.
President Higgins’ statement I feel reflected my views well. It’s nice to have a Head of State that can speak eloquently without resorting to rhetoric or slander.
In fairness to him, he’s a diplomat – he worded that perfectly – no judgement and not on behalf of the people of Ireland etc. Good job Michael D!
“Thatcher’s legacy will be debated for many years” – this is a euphamism for;- ” that rotten bitch”
Markets without regulation got us in the mess we are in today .
I’d be inclined to disagree and offer an alternative opinion.
Free markets are great without governmental interference. A truly free market system would have seen the banks fail and the Irish people absolved of the current debt we hold.
However, with that, savings would have been lost and interest rates would sky rocket. Also we would have had to immediately balance our current budget leading to higher unemployment.
That’s absolute nonsense, Stephen. There never have been “free markets without government interference”, anywhere in the world, at any time (except maybe Somalia in the past decade).
“State” and “market” or “public” and “private” are not mutally exclusive concepts, they exist on a continuum – the trick is finding the correct balance.
It should be clear to everyone by now that unregulated or poorly regulated financial markets lead inevitably to disaster – happened in the 1890s, happened before the great Depression, which led to the more balanced social democratic “New Deal” type models, which worked great for around 30 years.
Thatcher, along with Regan, was at the forefront of dismantling this arrangement, leading us to where we are today, possibly the single most toxic element of a deeply toxic legacy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_(financial_markets)#Consequences
It’s not government action that’s to be blamed for the crash, it’s government inaction – without deregulation, there would’ve been no need to bail out the banks in the first place.
As for Thatcher, may she be remembered with the respect she deserves.
Sorry voodoo, Stephen is right.
Who backed the mortgages for the bad loans?
Who guarantees bank deposits?
Does guaranteeing them let the banks do what they want with deposits?
Do you know what a moral hazard is?
Should government pick winners and losers?
These questions are rhetorical.
Lots of questions, Michael, but you have no answer for the fact that it was financial products such as CDOs, as well as the disproportionate “financialisation” of western economies that’ve gotten us to where we are now.
No answer, either, for the fact that each “golden age” of laissez faire capitalism has failed, led to a massive crash and depression every single time it’s been tried, requiring massive government intervention to prevent disaster.
And no answer to the fact that there never have been “free markets without government interference”, anywhere in the world, at any time, so we really have no idea whether such a system is “great” or not.
Overwhelmingly obvious that the neoliberal dream – Thatcher’s legacy – has clearly failed. At least, it’s failed if the welfare of the majority of people is your measure, when it comes to making the rich richer and the poor poorer, it’s been a great success.
I think the best we can do is hope Mrs. Thatcher rests in peace.
Apart from politician she was a human being with a family.
You horrible thoughtful man.
Iron Lady – Rust in Hell!
And what a family!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Thatcher
apple not far from the tree ?
Her legacy can be summed up in her own words.
Any man who does not have a car by the time they are 30 should be considered a failure.
If that is not the ultimate slogan for the neo con era we are all living with then I don’t know what is.
She really was a hag with regard to Ireland and her foreign policy in general was all about putting the Brits first.
How and ever, taking this into account, I believe we need a similarly strong leader willing to put us first.
Of course she put Britain first she was its Prime Minister!
You missed my point. Our politicians don’t necessarily put us first and in general it isn’t the norm.
It’s hard to reconcile her combative approach to NI with her excellent leadership and economic policies.
How dare she put her country first – unlike Irish politicians, who don’t. Was that your point?
No Emmet, had you fully read my comment it’s quite clear I mean we need someone to put us first.
She certainly didn’t put working class British people first.
What in the name of god are you people on. She died and Ireland is completely different to Britain. The power they have it’s easy to bully things for your country. That is not what we should be discussing. She, by her decisions killed 10 hunger strikers, she gave Pinochet the dictator asylum, she called Mandela a terrorist and supported apartheid. Now she is dead and we the sheep of Ireland should not be walking over each other to send sympathies. History should remember her as a bigoted elitist despot!!!!
Ha lovely I’m delighted
Woohoo, she’s gone.
Michael Higgins…..please note, not in my name!
It was a stroke yes?A stroke of luck more like it..By all the feedback Ive come across today.
ah yes, popular opinion is always right, isn’t it? we should run the country by opinion polls. oh wait. we do!
Dont really want to jump on the band wagon here, but its impossible to find anything nice to say about such a horrible person. Bad for the working/lower classes in Britain,bad for the Republic and was actually the devil for any Catholic or Nationalist in the North. If she was still in power cease fire and good friday etc would never have happened. Never forgotten by generations id think.
It was the working class vote that helped her to three consecutive, overwheming, electoral victories.
I doubt if they were coal miners or milk men
People in Ireland have very short memories she had no respect for humanity and don’t forget that dictator in chile she looked after
Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! lmao
Maggie,Maggie,Maggie
Out Out Out
Evil Axis !!! Slán
Thought Higgins was a socalist why is he sorry to learn of this righ wing evil monster’s death.
He was speaking, in diplomatic speak, as the Head of State, not as good ole Michael D.
Rust in Peace!!
A lot of you godawful commenters would do well to follow michael d’s approach.
Her Legacy has been summed up by the comments on twitter and Journal ,,,not good at all,,,,,
Gone but not forgotten, unfortunately.
Jelly and ice cream anyone???
My hubby is from Scotland moved here im 2004 to marry me .. He said he will defo be havin a dram to night to celebrate Mrs Thatcher’s passing … She raped Scotland !!! His words !!!
Would have preferred if c would lie in her on shit for another few years and suffer wonder will Enda & co waste much of tax payers money going to her funeral ????
”Her legacy and impact will be debated for many years to come, as will her policies in relation to Northern Ireland”
typical politicins statment – . There is little to debate – she supported the Rich and the powerful and Terrorists like Pinochet . She was against the ordinary people . What is there to debate . The pity as has been said is that Thatcerism / Reagonomics are still going strong . A failed policy that serves the Rich – who control so much of the media who keep the fiction alive about ” Free Markets ” .
The rich do have to endure Free markets – –that is reserved for the rest of us . We must compete with each other in the race to the bottom .
Michael D could have said the exact same thing about Chavez but did he?? What will Michael D say when big hairy, false toothed Gerry ‘Grisly’ Adams kicks the bucket and is mourned by his two teddy bears??
THIS DAY THE WORLD HAS CHANGED! R.I.P.
Power crazy control freak. It’s her kind that give women a bad name
History will be a lot kinder to Margaret Thatcher than we think. Yes she messed up in Northern Ireland and with the Poll Tax. But she also brought Britain back from the brink of economic collapse by crushing the unions who at the time controlled the country to its economic detriment. The unions were single handedly responsible for Britain’s economic crisis of the mid 1970s. Production was at an all time low and power outages were common. Things had become so bad that the IMF had to bail them out in 1976. Thatcher changed all this. I can’t help but feel that a lot of the hatred directed towards her was because of her sex.
My disappointment with Michael D’s presidency continues. His acquiescing with the ‘deal’ to turn the illegal promissory notes into full-blown sovereign debt was bad enough; now he’s paying tribute to the high priestess of bank deregulation and neo-liberalism that has brought us to this disaster. It’s especially bad when he was in Chile just a few months laying wreaths at a memorial to victims of her buddy, Pinochet.
No, it’ll be debated for a couple of days, then forgotten about, except for a few indentured historians, who will eulogise her ‘objectively’.
What obvious statement will the hobbit have for us tomorrow.
@Adam – She sounded more “rhetoric” than anyone else.
Indeed I forgot about the time she was elected President of Ireland…oh yes she wasn’t.
Anyone fancy a cod and chips?
This is as one would expect diplomatic speak from President Higgins,as an avowed left socialist his own personal views on the former right wing British prime minister are far from being diplomatic,but death is neither left, right, or centre, and is therefore the greatest leveler of all.
Yeah and so will the Irish Labour legacy
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