IN 1996, Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary, in reply to a letter from a friend of one of the Hillsborough victims wrote: “After all, who if not the tanked up yobs who turned up late determined to get into the ground caused the disaster? To blame the police, even though they may have made mistakes, is contemptible.”
After the disaster, Thatcher’s favourite cheerleader The Sun completely blamed all the Liverpool fans under a banner which was entitled “The truth”.
26 years later, The Sun has apologised (not a front page banner), but Ingham refuses to. The Thatcher government were immensely grateful to the South Yorkshire Police for being instrumental in the defeat of the miners.
If some poor soul dies as a result of the doctors strike do you think The Sun will blame the doctors or the Health Secretary? Mmm, hard one that.
Paul Gledhill, North Lane, Dringhouses, York
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