Anti-Thatcher protest in London's Trafalgar Square

[steve2470]

76. Lady Thatcher funeral arrangements under fire as Big Ben is silenced

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/15/lady-thatcher-funeral-arrangements-criticised

The bells of Big Ben and the Great Clock at Westminster are to be silenced as a mark of respect during Wednesday's ceremonial funeral for Lady Thatcher, the Commons Speaker has announced.

As unease about the scale of the funeral spread across political parties, John Bercow told MPs that silencing the bells was the most fitting tribute to the late prime minister following a number of representations. It is thought the bells were last silenced as a mark of respect during the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965.

But the statement by Bercow came as Diane Abbott, the shadow health minister, became the first member of the Labour frontbench to criticise the funeral, which will involve more than 700 military personnel from the three armed forces.

One senior Tory is planning to boycott the funeral on the grounds that the Queen, whose aides are understood to have raised concerns about associating a divisive prime minister with the military on such a large scale, has been placed in an invidious position. It is understood that a number of Tories blame Gordon Brown for pushing for such a large scale funeral for Thatcher when he was prime minister, giving the palace no choice but to accept an invitation for the Queen on the grounds that the ceremony has cross-party consensus.