By Should the proposed statue of Margaret Thatcher be erected in Grantham?
A statue in memory of the late prime minister Margaret Thatcher could be erected in Grantham ‘in a matter of weeks’
The statue was originally commissioned to stand outside the Houses of Parliament but it was rejected by Westminster Council in January 2018.
Councillors said it was possibly too soon after her death and questioned the depiction of the figure in State Robes.
Currently said to be in storage at “a secret location”, the statue will be placed in St Peter’s Hill ‘in a matter of weeks.’
The £300,000 statue has stirred up controversy amongst members of the public, who are divided on whether or not the late Mrs Thatcher should be remembered in this way.
Some are strongly against the plan, stating: “Here we go again. Putting up statues of people who used others to further their own interests (ie staying in power and living the lifestyle she was determined to live, at any cost).”
Another felt the £300,000 could be better invested: “What a waste of money! The money could have been used in so many practical, helpful and useful ways, especially over these challenging times.”
One local shared their indecision on the matter: “I’m 80/20 split on this statue. 20% to recognise her breaking the glass ceiling as the first female PM, but hailing from Yorkshire, the remaining 80% of me is against it.
“She was so determined on all levels (including personal) to win the fight against Scargill and his union(s) that many, many small towns in the North became collateral damage (and Scargill was also to blame). Those same towns were then “left” to rot for generations to come.”
Others felt she should be celebrated as Mrs Thatcher was the first prime minister in the UK.
One person said: “A great lady who lead the way for women in politics. She deserves a place in history.”
What do you think? Should the statue be erected?
Let us know in the comments!
