This is not the time

Calton thinks it was completely inappropriate for the First Minister to mention his disagreements with Margaret Thatcher's policies in his interview earlier today and he sincerely hopes that Salmond is not invited to the funeral next week. There is a time and a place for voicing criticism of someone and it is not in the days between their death and their funeral. There will be plenty of time for that sort of thing after next week but, for the moment, Calton agrees with former PM Tony Blair when he calls for some respect. The gatherings in Glasgow and other places to celebrate Thatcher's death were in very poor taste. Whatever you think of her policies or her as a person, she was a mother, a friend and a colleague and people are grieving. They should be able to do so without the spectacle of ghoulish celebrations in our towns and cities. It will be to Scotland's shame if we cannot show respect to the dead and the grieving, starting with our First Minister!