Ben Habib has demanded the sacking of museum bosses overseeing the “villain” labelling of Margaret Thatcher.
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum sparked furore by placing the former Prime Minister alongside Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden in an exhibition on British humour.
She was named as a “contemporary villain” in the exhibit which displays a range of satirical Punch and Judy puppets.
But the display was no laughing matter for Habib, who demanded museum bosses face the sack.
Ben Habib has blasted museum bosses
GB NEWS
“As trivial as this might seem, this is part of an attack on the United Kingdom”, he said on GB News.
“Margaret Thatcher was a democratically elected leader, the longest serving Prime Minister since World War Two.
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Margaret Thatcher has been branded a 'villain'
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Judita Da Silva defended the V&A Museum
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“She has set many records, she broke the grip that the far left had on our economy, liberated society, put aspiration first ahead of dependency.
“She’s someone, whether you agree with her legacy or not, should be regarded as a great, British historical figure.
“But they attack her and in doing it, they’re attacking our history. They’re attacking those people who we should hold in high regard.
“Whoever made this decision, collectively the board, should be sacked. They’re not at liberty to vilify Margaret Thatcher.”
Journalist Judith Da Silva defended the museum, arguing the display has been “taken out of context”.
“It’s misguided politicisation of something that is not political at all”, she said.
“The exhibit we’re talking about is talking about the evolution of humour, and they’re using Punch and Judy and also references to the puppetry show Spitting Image.
“In the narrative, there is always a villain, it began as the devil, but over the course of time, based on different iterations in different locations, the villain is depicted differently.”
She continued: “It’s not saying the museum has an opinion on Thatcher and is endorsing that opinion for other people to join them, it’s talking about the evolution of humour and different kinds of depiction.”
The museum told GB News: "The V&A is always open to feedback from our visitors. In response to some concerns around a caption in the Punch and Judy case of our Laughing Matters display - telling the story of British satire and comedy - we will review the relevant label text and update the wording if necessary."
