Thatcher Green Fantasy BUSTED

Demonstrating his creative interpretation of modern history, and indeed his ability to talk well, but lie badly, alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson has attempted to reinvent the legacy of his most notorious recent predecessor as leader of the Tory Party. But this was a campaign that developed not necessarily to his advantage.

As the BBC has reported, “Visiting a Scottish wind farm on Thursday, Mr Johnson told reporters: ‘Thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who closed so many coal mines across the country, we had a big early start and we're now moving rapidly away from coal altogether’ … He is reported to have laughed and added: ‘I thought that would get you going’”.

Yes, going straight to the nearest sick bucket. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon put it succinctly. “Lives and communities in Scotland were utterly devastated by Thatcher's destruction of the coal industry (which had zero to do with any concern she had for the planet)”. Quite. But, with the certainty of night following day, came the right-wing defence.

Christian Calgie. Claims to be a journalist

This was typified by the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, for whom snooty and entitled new teaboy Christian Calgie had already reminded the world what a Grade A Shit he was by whining “What is going on with bar/pub service at the moment? So many places are absolutely terrible. I’ve never had to ask so many waiters to remove the service charge from the bill”. Waitah! Waitah! You thyah!!

Calgie’s pro-Bozo wibble told readers not yet asleep “Labour Queue Up To Slam Climate Sage Thatcher … Boris Right About Maggie’s Climate Legacy”, going on to claim “While the left may refuse to acknowledge it, Thatcher was undeniably the first eco-conscious PM”. And so we come to point One: Mrs T often talked of taking action, but did not follow through, like claiming “We must do something about the inner cities”.

That was after her 1987 General Election victory. But little action followed. Likewise with point Two, “transitioning from coal”. Pits in the UK closed, but electricity generators kept on burning it: power stations in Yorkshire got their supplies imported to ports like Hunterston and then hauled by rail via Carlisle and Leeds. And then comes point Three.

Yes, it’s the old Tory Comparative Pit Closures Ploy, with Calgie sneering “For some reason, Labour is less willing to acknowledge Harold Wilson’s much greater role in closing British coal mines”. But in the late 60s and mid 70s, full employment was Government policy: those who had worked in the mines could walk out the pit and into another decently paid job. By the 1983-4 miners’ strike, unemployment was well above THREE MILLION.

There were no other jobs for redundant miners to walk into. Communities - those things that snobs like Calgie probably don’t understand - were badly hit. And communities is what those opposition politicians have been citing to rightly kick Bozo, whose early 1980s were spent lording it over the lower orders at Eton, before going up to Oxford.

All that was left for the sneering Calgie was for Tom Usher to bring him a dose of reality: “It says in your bio you’re a senior reporter for Guido Fawkes, but that can’t be right as you’re acting like a big stupid entitled man baby who looks like they willingly piss their pants in public for attention at the drop of a hat? Maybe some mistake?” He might wish to say that, but I couldn’t possibly comment. Another fine mess, once again.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/zelostreet9