John Prescott has condemned plans for the taxpayer to foot the bill for Baroness Thatcher's funeral.
Writing in his column in the Sunday Mirror, Lord Prescott said the ceremonial funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday was simply a "political propaganda exercise" for the Tory Party.
"I despised everything she stood for. She may have been a woman, but in her policies she showed no compassion to the sick, needy and the desperate," Labour's former deputy prime minister wrote.
"Even in death, she is spinning from her grave. She claimed she never wanted a state funeral, but she planned to give herself the same ceremonial one as the Queen Mother.
"And her 'children', the out-of-touch Tory Boys Cameron and Osborne, are getting YOU to foot the £10 million bill for the biggest political propaganda exercise this country has ever seen.
"Thatcher split this country, North and South, the haves and have nots, 'one of us' or 'the enemy within'. This country paid enough thanks to that woman. So why the hell should we continue to pay now she's dead?"
He suggested the 13,000 millionaires who had each received £100,000 tax cut as a result of the Government's cut in the top rate of tax should instead each contribute £770 to pay for it.
"Privatise her funeral. It would be a fitting tribute," he wrote.
His words are in sharp contrast to Labour leader Ed Miliband who has been at pains to pay tribute to Lady Thatcher's achievements while at the same time acknowledging their political differences.
