Punk icon John Lydon has slammed Brits who are celebrating the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, branding them "cowards".

The controversial ex-leader died on Monday (08Apr13) after suffering a stroke, and her passing has prompted praise and criticism in equal measure in the U.K.

Some opponents of Thatcher have caused outrage by holding parties to celebrate her death, but Sex Pistols frontman Lydon has blasted them for being disrespectful and trampling on the grief of the former politician's loved ones.

Lydon, whose band broke up a year before Thatcher came to power in 1979, says, "I'm not happy about the boo boo parties... Her politics were really dreadful and derisive and caused a great many issues for me when I was young, for all of us trying to go through that. But that don't mean (sic) I am gonna dance on her grave, as they say. I'm not that kind of person.

"I was her enemy in her life but I will not be her enemy in her death. I am not a coward... My entire life, socially, was all around the Maggie era. That was the great challenge as a Sex Pistol was how to deal with Margaret Thatcher. I think we did rather good."

However, asked if he will be watching Thatcher's ceremonial funeral in central London next Wednesday (17Apr13), Lydon replied, "I might have something better to do."