‘Don’t let fears stop Thatcher statue’
A STATUE of Margaret Thatcher should not be stopped because of fears of vandalism, Theresa May has said.
Fears that a monument to the late premier would be defaced have been blamed for it not being erected.
But the Prime Minister told BBC News: “What I’m very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher being put up.”
Backers of the statue hoped the memorial to Britain’s first female prime minister, reported to cost £300,000, would join the likes of Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and other political greats in Parliament Square.
However, the Public Memorials Appeal Trust saw its application derailed after objections from the arms-length government organisation that maintains the square and from local campaigners.
Among the concerns was that the trust could not guarantee that Baroness Thatcher’s family consented to the statue.
In a letter to City of Westminster Council, The Royal Parks said it was objecting to the application on behalf of the government as the trust “failed to give the assurances (we) sought”.
The Royal Parks added: “We have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family. To date we have not had those assurances.”