A London Museum has sparked a new controversy by including Margaret Thatcher in an exhibition that compared her to Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, and now conservative critics want to cut the Museum’s funding.
Trouble for the Victoria and Albert Museum
A recent controversy has broken out for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London after including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in an exhibition that compared her to some of recent history’s most sinister figures.
Quick History
For a quick reminder, Margaret Thatcher served as the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.
Conservative Policies
Prime Minister Thatcher is best known for her conservative policies, which cut social welfare programs, reduced trade union power, and privatized certain industries.
Resigning From Office
Ultimately, Thatcher resigned from the position in 1990 due to unpopular policy decisions and internal power struggles within the Conservative party
Laughing Matter
The exhibition, titled “Laughing Matters: The State of a Nation,” was originally meant to be a satirical piece featuring puppets of different historical characters.
Contemporary Villains’
However, the controversy began when people saw the puppet of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher alongside Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, labelling them as “contemporary villains.”
Evil Characters
The caption under the former Prime Minister’s puppet read, “Over the years, the evil character in this seaside puppet show has shifted from the Devil to unpopular public figures including Adolf Hitler, Margaret Thatcher and Osama bin Laden, to offer contemporary villains.”
Sparking Backlash
Unfortunately for the Victoria and Albert Museum, this exhibit has sparked a significant backlash from the public.
Conservative Support
Unsurprisingly, most of the criticism came from individuals associated with the UK’s conservative party, who quickly came to the former conservative prime minister’s defence. One exhibition critic was Sir Connor Burns, a former trade minister and Conservative MP, who says the person responsible for the caption should be made public and explain their reasoning.
Called Out Publicly
Sir Connor Burns said, “‘Whoever wrote that caption should be called out publicly for being a moron, or perhaps more usefully sent to read a Ladybird book of modern world history.”
Living in a Bubble
Burns went on to say, “They must live in a bubble, away from the real world, to think that it is rational to propose that a politician of the stature of Margaret Thatcher would equate to any of those mass murderers and vile human beings” and “This sort of idiocy begs the question of funding.”
Thatcher’s Former Aide
Nile Gardiner, a former aide to Thatcher and director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, also spoke out against the museum for its actions.
Disgraceful
Gardiner took to X, and wrote, “Disgraceful from the Victoria and Albert Museum. It should be stripped of public funding.”
The Mother of Entrepreneurship
Political commentator Russell Quirk told GB News, “Thatcher was the mother of entrepreneurship. How anyone can say she was a villain – she was one of political history’s heroes”
Funding the Museum
As you might have noticed, a common theme in the statements made against the museum involves critics questioning the museum’s funding.
67 Million
According to reports from 2022-2023, the museum received over £67 million in funding from the government and the museum’s critics question if this is the best use of taxpayer money.
A Strange Pattern
What also makes this situation more unusual is the fact that this isn’t the Victoria and Albert Museum’s first controversy involving Margaret Thatcher.
Rejecting the Offer
The Victoria and Albert Museum also received criticism in 2015 when it was reported that they refused to take a collection of former Prime Minister Thatcher’s clothing and personal accessories.
Hundreds of Items
Thatcher’s family says they offered The Victoria and Albert Museum hundreds of different items, including her wedding dress, because they wanted to keep the items together rather than auction them separately.
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The post ‘Contemporary Villains’ – Museum Compares Margaret Thatcher to Hitler Faces Calls to Cut Funding first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alessia Pierdomenico.
Keegan Leighty is a committed writer known for his impactful work in bringing attention to societal issues and injustices, using his platform to advocate for change and awareness. He also writes satire and stand up.