PLANS to hold a Holyrood debate about Baroness Thatcher's legacy on the day of her funeral has been branded crass and tasteless by the Scottish Conservatives.
The Scottish Green Party has secured a debate on the issue of whether there is such a thing as society, echoing the former prime minister's controversial assertion in 1987 that there was no such thing as society.
Patrick Harvie, co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, said: "The tragedy for huge numbers of people is that Thatcherism as an ideology still lives.
"We aim to encourage honest consideration of the legacy of Thatcherism, the core elements of which – competition and selfishness – continue to affect our society and our economy."
His comments brought an angry response from the Tories, who want the debate to be postponed.
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: "We will be contesting the timing of this motion, which seems to have been designed to cause the most upset and controversy. The Scottish Conservatives will have no problem participating in this debate when it arrives."
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser called the plan "crass and thoughtless", adding it was "entirely inappropriate to have this on the day of the funeral".
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