By Harry McMullen
This week the Royal Mint has announced plans to allow the British public to elect the person they wish to feature on the upcoming £50 note.
Margaret Thatcher is one candidate that has been put forward but the decision to elect her is cause of much debate across social media.
Thatcher was the Conservative Prime Minster from 1979-1990 and her ‘tough love’ politics divided opinion.
Many working-class citizens felt that her harsh approach to the trade unions allowed unemployment to soar in industrial areas.
In contrast, many believe that Thatcher was a fantastic leader. As well as campaigning for EU trade, supporters feel that she took Britain’s dilapidated economy and turned the nation into a global headquarters for commerce.
Although Thatcher has now passed away but she is still dividing opinion.
When Thatcher died in 2013, the single “The Witch is Dead” from the Wizard of Oz charted at number 2 and many working-class areas had ‘street parties’ celebrating her death.
Many have taken to twitter to express their views on whether she would be a suitable candidate for the note:
Paul Bassett Davies had this to say:
I don’t want to see Margaret Thatcher’s face on a £50 note for the same reason that I haven’t commissioned a portrait of the guy who burgled my house and left a turd in the living room.
— paul bassett davies (@thewritertype) October 17, 2018
Many of the working class feel that Thatcher disenfranchised them:
I don’t care if Thatcher is on the new £50 note. Thanks to her I’ll never see one.
— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) October 17, 2018
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg believes Thatcher would have been a great Brexit negotiator. However, Twitter suggests he is a lone voice supporting her face on the note:
Putting Lady Thatcher’s picture on the £50 note would be a timely reminder of how to negotiate with the EU.https://t.co/tNGpxTqEoa
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) October 18, 2018
England footballer Harry Maguire and Sir David Attenborough are also being discussed as potential candidates. The final shortlist will be confirmed towards the tail end of the year.