Sarah Vine jumped on the PM’s weird ‘Margaret Thatcher: Eco Warrior’ bandwagon – 11 perfect digs
After visiting Moray East Offshore Windfarm in Scotland, Boris Johnson caused an outcry with an insensitive comment about the UK’s move towards renewable energy.
‘We’ve transitioned away from coal in my lifetime. Thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who closed so many coalmines across the country, we had a big early start.’
It’s almost certainly the first time anyone has ever suggested the pit closures were environmentally motivated, and coming from Johnson, it was probably a bad joke. A very bad joke.
.@BorisJohnson the deliberate devastation of whole communities isn’t a joke – when a PM & old Etonian lies about working class history to cover up his inaction as host of world climate conference, it’s not funny, it’s disrespectful & devious #apologise https://t.co/w1xWyDFLjM
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) August 6, 2021
The story trended on Twitter for more than a day, due to reactions like these.
Sorry, I was just remembering that time Thatcher devastated whole communities and put a generation out of work. She was such a hoot. pic.twitter.com/n6TiqXmVeu
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) August 6, 2021
Boris Johnson is a professional arsehole with decades of experience https://t.co/wvOcVKbl7U
— Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) August 5, 2021
“Thatcher helped dentists by taking milk from schoolchildren” https://t.co/FpxO5UKS1N
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) August 5, 2021
“You Northerners can trust us Tories, we’re on your side now” says man who finds the closing of pits and destruction of communities hilarious. https://t.co/RocGv9Sio7
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) August 5, 2021
The PM has refused to apologise for the joke/revision of history – delete as appropriate – but if anybody thought he would, they must have been watching a different prime minister.
Expecting Boris Johnson to apologise for anything is like expecting your cat to clean its own litter tray.
— paul bassett davies (@thewritertype) August 7, 2021
Whether he was joking or not, one of his cheerleaders, Sarah Vine, decided to double down on the idea of Maggie Thatcher: Eco Warrior, with an error-riddled think piece in the Mail.
The Mail on Sunday. Where truth goes to die. pic.twitter.com/BAUbbMOZ3n
— Scarborough lass (@Scarborough_GB) August 8, 2021
It got the reactions you’d expect.
1.
Thatcher didn’t stop us using coal: she just imported it rather than mined it. Didn’t do a thing for climate change.
— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) August 8, 2021
2.
In her next column, Sarah Vine explains how Margaret Thatcher stopped free milk in schools to raise awareness of lactose intolerance. https://t.co/fOICaIEq4g
— (@thatjimdavis) August 8, 2021
3.
Sarah Vine is now so far removed from the truth that she can’t even be arsed to get the decade correct. pic.twitter.com/3w33aZi0Xg
— Morris E. Smith (@TheGeniusID) August 8, 2021
4.
Sarah Vine arguing Margaret Thatcher was ahead of her time on climate change yes but her time was approximately 432 BC
— dave ❄️ (@davemacladd) August 8, 2021
5.
Hysterical laughter pic.twitter.com/rnSvunatEk
— Fionna O'Leary, (@fascinatorfun) August 8, 2021
6.
Sarah Vine told us today that "Thatcher closed coal mines due to her concerns about climate change".
Next week: "Boris is misunderstood. His obsession with removing funding for free school meals is because he worries about childhood obesity".— Mark Cockerton (@CockertonMark) August 8, 2021
7.
So we can add 1970's history to the huge list of things that Sarah Vine knows nothing about. pic.twitter.com/PxXz14m2M1
— Lauren Rose (@LeftLozB) August 8, 2021
8.
So, Sarah Vine, did Thatcher close the dockyards to save on water then? FFS. pic.twitter.com/yoXNcT5Jw9
— Rachel Woollett (@RachelWoollett) August 8, 2021
9.
Hey Sarah Vine thank god all those lorries have been removed from our roads.
a) Saves the environment
b) Makes the roads safer
c) Fights obesity.
But you're going to tell us that was Johnson's plan all along! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣— Steve Bray despises corrupt Tories (@snb19692) August 8, 2021
10.
Sarah Vine thought marrying Michael Gove was a good idea. Why would you trust her judgement on anything else?
— Malcolm V Tucker 🏴☠️ (@Tucker5law) August 8, 2021
11.
*Sarah Vine*
Yeah and the Mail was well ahead of its time on Brexit awareness when in the 1930s it supported Hitler. 🤦pic.twitter.com/yAz0AjGUOS
— *Followed by 98k Anti-Tories* (@MarieAnnUK) August 8, 2021
What did Margaret Thatcher actually say about climate change?
You know, I am not entirely sure Sarah Vine has read the provocatively titled 'Hot Air and Global Warming' 10 page section in Statecraft, a book by one Margaret Thatcher published in 2002, in which she dismisses climate change concern as a leftie plot. pic.twitter.com/X4xPg30GVY
— Paul Cotterill (@Bickerrecord) August 8, 2021
READ MORE
Our 11 favourite reactions to Sarah Vine’s callous coronavirus comment
Source Scarborough Lass Image Daily Mail, Screengrab