Theresa May: Margaret Thatcher statue proposal should not be stopped over vandalism fears

Supporters of the ten-foot bronze statue had hoped for the memorial of Britain’s divisive first female Prime Minister to join the likes of Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi

A full-length bronze statue of Baroness Thatcher was unveiled in Westminster in February 2007 (PA)

A proposal for a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square should not be abandoned due to threats of vandalism, Theresa May has said.

Backers of the ten-foot bronze statue of the divisive Baroness Thatcher, which is reported to cost £300,000, had hoped for the memorial of Britain’s first female Prime Minister to join the likes of Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln in the famous square dedicated to historical giants.

But the plans to stand the statue on a stone plinth on the western edge of Canning Green were blocked following concerns by authorities that it did not have the blessing of Baroness Thatcher's daughter, Carol. Neighbours also raised concerns about the potential for such a controversial statue to be defaced.

However, when asked about the decision to block the statue, Ms May intervened: “I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up.”

Concerns were raised last year that the Public Memorials Appeals Trust, who lodged the application, could not guarantee that Baroness Thatcher's family consented to the statue, which was to stand on a stone plinth on the western edge of Canning Green. Last year the Mail on Sunday reported that Baroness Thatcher’s daughter objected to the statue, due to the fact the design didn’t include a handbag.

In a letter to City of Westminster council, the Royal Parks organisation said it was objecting to the application on behalf of the Government as the trust “failed to give the assurances [we] sought”.

Baroness Thatcher was the Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990

On Thursday, the Royal Parks added: “Numerous times we have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family for the statue. To date we have not had those assurances.”

But concerns were also raised by conservationists over the threat of vandalism. In their response to the planning application, the Thorney Island Society (TIS) advised that the principle of leaving a 10-year gap between the death of a subject and the installation of a statue should be adhered to.

The group said: “While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected, it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country.

“There is a strong case for the 10-year rule to be respected — there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.”

Responding to reports the statue had been blocked on the grounds of vandalism, the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Daily Mail: “Blocking it for fear of thugs and vandals is the lily-livered approach that Lady Thatcher most disdained.”