Butcher's Coat
Striker
From today's Times.
Just shows what the old cow was like.
"Margaret Thatcher spurned a memorial service for the victims of Piper Alpha so she could dine with the Conservatives’ chief fundraiser, according to newly released documents. The papers reveal that the prime minister was advised to fly to Aberdeen for the commemoration of the 167 men who lost their lives in the world’s worst offshore disaster on July 6, 1988. However, she chose instead to meet Lord McAlpine, the Tory treasurer who raised millions for the party, and attend a lunch for leading industrialists. The declassified official files, which have been opened and placed in the National Archives, also reveal that Thatcher’s special adviser on energy — a former BP executive — urged her to ignore demands for significant health and safety improvements following the tragedy. Greg Bourne, a member of the prime minister’s policy unit, suggested that union calls for changes in offshore working practices were an attempt to make “political capital” from the catastrophe and should be disregarded. It was on July 11, five days after the explosion and fire, that Tessa Gaisman, a diary secretary in Thatcher’s political office, wrote to her suggesting she fly to northeast Scotland to pay her respects. She wrote: “A memorial service for victims of Piper Alpha is to be held at 2pm on Wednesday, July 20 at St Nicholas Church, Union Street, Aberdeen. “If you wanted to go the timing would be very tight, but you could do it if you left the House at 11.40am and went by helicopter from Wellington Barracks to Northolt and then flew up to Dyce. “This would mean moving your afternoon engagements and cancelling/ postponing the lunch for industrialists. “What would you like to do?” The prime minister then gave the curt response: “I think ask the lord chancellor if he would kindly represent me.”
The government was represented at the service in Aberdeen by Cecil Parkinson, the energy secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, the Scottish secretary, and his predecessor George Younger.
Thatcher’s diary shows that on the day of the memorial she attended a celebration at Westminster Hall to mark the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution, in which James VII was overthrown by William and Mary, before lunching with business figures and Lord McAlpine. It was two days after a series of explosions ripped through the Piper Alpha rig, forcing trapped workers to leap into burning waters, that Mr Bourne — who had previously been responsible for BP’s UK offshore drilling operations — implored the prime minister to ignore calls for significant health and safety changes. He wrote: “The trade unions will try to make political capital out of this catastrophe. “Their frustration is more from not being able to make much headway in recruiting members offshore, rather than a real concern over lack of safety standards. “Of course there is no such thing as a perfect safety record. However, through the continuing efforts of the oil companies, the service companies and not least by the department of energy, the level of attention to safety continues ever onwards and upwards.” Despite Mr Bourne’s assertions, the 1990 Cullen inquiry into the disaster went on to recommend 106 changes to North Sea safety procedures.
Jake Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union’s offshore energy branch in Aberdeen, said: “People will be saddened and shocked by these revelations. It confirms that Thatcher’s priority was keeping industrialists happy. He added: “It is deeply regrettable that a senior government adviser chose to use that kind of language just hours after 167 men had lost their lives. “Our concerns weren’t about capital gain or getting members, they were about protecting lives and ensuring that a natural resource was exploited fairly and safely.”
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/145405/thatcher-snubbed-piper-alpha-vigil/
Just shows what the old cow was like.
"Margaret Thatcher spurned a memorial service for the victims of Piper Alpha so she could dine with the Conservatives’ chief fundraiser, according to newly released documents. The papers reveal that the prime minister was advised to fly to Aberdeen for the commemoration of the 167 men who lost their lives in the world’s worst offshore disaster on July 6, 1988. However, she chose instead to meet Lord McAlpine, the Tory treasurer who raised millions for the party, and attend a lunch for leading industrialists. The declassified official files, which have been opened and placed in the National Archives, also reveal that Thatcher’s special adviser on energy — a former BP executive — urged her to ignore demands for significant health and safety improvements following the tragedy. Greg Bourne, a member of the prime minister’s policy unit, suggested that union calls for changes in offshore working practices were an attempt to make “political capital” from the catastrophe and should be disregarded. It was on July 11, five days after the explosion and fire, that Tessa Gaisman, a diary secretary in Thatcher’s political office, wrote to her suggesting she fly to northeast Scotland to pay her respects. She wrote: “A memorial service for victims of Piper Alpha is to be held at 2pm on Wednesday, July 20 at St Nicholas Church, Union Street, Aberdeen. “If you wanted to go the timing would be very tight, but you could do it if you left the House at 11.40am and went by helicopter from Wellington Barracks to Northolt and then flew up to Dyce. “This would mean moving your afternoon engagements and cancelling/ postponing the lunch for industrialists. “What would you like to do?” The prime minister then gave the curt response: “I think ask the lord chancellor if he would kindly represent me.”
The government was represented at the service in Aberdeen by Cecil Parkinson, the energy secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, the Scottish secretary, and his predecessor George Younger.
Thatcher’s diary shows that on the day of the memorial she attended a celebration at Westminster Hall to mark the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution, in which James VII was overthrown by William and Mary, before lunching with business figures and Lord McAlpine. It was two days after a series of explosions ripped through the Piper Alpha rig, forcing trapped workers to leap into burning waters, that Mr Bourne — who had previously been responsible for BP’s UK offshore drilling operations — implored the prime minister to ignore calls for significant health and safety changes. He wrote: “The trade unions will try to make political capital out of this catastrophe. “Their frustration is more from not being able to make much headway in recruiting members offshore, rather than a real concern over lack of safety standards. “Of course there is no such thing as a perfect safety record. However, through the continuing efforts of the oil companies, the service companies and not least by the department of energy, the level of attention to safety continues ever onwards and upwards.” Despite Mr Bourne’s assertions, the 1990 Cullen inquiry into the disaster went on to recommend 106 changes to North Sea safety procedures.
Jake Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union’s offshore energy branch in Aberdeen, said: “People will be saddened and shocked by these revelations. It confirms that Thatcher’s priority was keeping industrialists happy. He added: “It is deeply regrettable that a senior government adviser chose to use that kind of language just hours after 167 men had lost their lives. “Our concerns weren’t about capital gain or getting members, they were about protecting lives and ensuring that a natural resource was exploited fairly and safely.”
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/145405/thatcher-snubbed-piper-alpha-vigil/
