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Boris: 'Put Thatcher statue next to Churchill' as Labour dismiss idea as 'crass triumphalism'

Boris Johnson yesterday led calls for a statue of Baroness Thatcher to be erected in Parliament Square.
The Major of London suggested a permanent memorial to Lady Thatcher should be placed alongside other prominent figures, including Winston Churchill.
His comments came after Ken Livingstone said the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square – the previous forerunner for the site – was being reserved for the Queen.
Mr Johnson said that ‘it is right that she should be properly commemorated’.
He added that he has instructed City Hall officials to find ‘the right kind of place’ in the capital to erect a statue.
He said: ‘People say put it on the fourth plinth – I think we’ve been around that a lot. Actually, there are better sites than that. I think we should look at Parliament Square.
‘There are other places in the heart of the capital that would do very well.’
But Labour today dismissed the idea of using the scene of poll tax riots as 'crass triumphalism', claiming Baroness Thatcher 'great harm to many people in London'.
David Cameron today said he wanted to 'take some time' before any decisions are made on a permanent monument to the former Tory Premier who died on Monday aged 87.
Mr Johnson's support of the idea of a statue has been publicly backed by former military personnel who served in the victorious Falklands campaign in 1982.
The London Mayor has ordered staff to start looking for a suitable site in the captial.
But Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group on the London Assembly, said: 'I don’t think it is appropriate to have a statue of Margaret Thatcher on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.
'She was a significant figure, but she was a divisive figure.
'I would argue that Margaret Thatcher did great harm to many people in London, and to place a statue of her at the site of the Poll Tax riots, which symbolised just how divisive she was, would be crass triumphalism.'
He went on: 'Boris needs to think carefully about this, rather than just jumping on a bandwagon. We all know he is trying to increase his standing within the Conservative Party, but abusing his position as Mayor of London for purely internal party political ends would demean him, the office of Mayor and our great city.
'This would also mean the fourth plinth would not be available for future artworks, which has been hugely successful and popular.'

Supporters of Baroness Thatcher are calling for a permanent statue to be erected on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square
Supporters of Baroness Thatcher are calling for a permanent statue to be erected on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square
David Cameron said there would be 'lots of memorials' to Baroness Thatcher
David Cameron said there would be 'lots of memorials' to Baroness Thatcher
Amid a growing clamour for a statue to be placed in central London on public view, Mr Cameron confirmed there would be numerous tributes.
He told Sky News: 'I think there will be lots of memorials. I think we should take some time and think about this to make sure we get it right.'
Using the vacant plinth in the shadow of Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, at the opposite end of Whitehall from the Houses of Parliament, has been backed by senior ministers.
 

More...

  • Dame Shirley Bassey and Jeremy Clarkson to attend Thatcher's funeral... but former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has another one to go to
  • Margaret Thatcher was 'not a woman on my terms', claims Labour MP Glenda Jackson in bitter attack on former Premier's memory
  • Guess which party left all the empty seats: 150 Labour MPs boycott day of tributes to Baroness Thatcher (and those that did attend used occasion to attack her)
  • Teachers of hatred: The drama mistress and the master from Miliband's school who helped organise the Maggie 'death parties'
However, there are concerns that any memorial could become the target of vandals and protests, after police clashed with revellers at hate-filled street parties ‘celebrating’ Baroness Thatcher’s death on Monday at the age of 87.
There is already a statue of the former Tory leader in the member’s lobby outside the main doors to the chamber of the House of Commons.
London Mayor Boris Johnson
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond
London Mayor Boris Johnson (left) and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond have given their backing to the idea of a permanent memorial in central London
When the 7ft 6in statue was unveiled in 2007, Baroness Thatcher was the first living former Prime Minister to be honoured in such a way by the Commons
When the 7ft 6in statue was unveiled in 2007, Baroness Thatcher was the first living former Prime Minister to be honoured in such a way by the Commons
However, in 2002 a marble statue of the three-times election winner was decapitated after it went on show at London’’s Guidhall.
Theatre producer Paul Kelleher was jailed for three months after attacking the £150,000 work of art.
The court heard that when police arrived minutes after the vandalism, Kelleher said: ‘I think it looks better like that.’
Ministers backed the idea of a statue which could act as a long-lasting tribute to Baroness Thatcher.
Mr Hammond said: ‘I think it would be very appropriate to have a memorial to Margaret Thatcher somewhere in London.
‘I haven’t personally given any thought yet to where that should be, but certainly the fourth plinth could be one of the options. Let’s look at that in slower time, I think these things are better thought about in slightly slower time after the event.’
In 2002 Baroness Thatcher unveiled an 8ft marble statue of herself by artist Neil Simmons at the Guildhall in the City of London
The statue was decapitated by anti-capitalist protestor Paul Kelleher in July 2002
Write caption here
David Cameron’s official spokesman yesterday said the Prime Minister thought it was a ‘good idea to think of ways of how in due course Lady Thatcher can be best commemorated’.
The London Mayor’s office also revealed Mr Johnson’s office is now exploring options of a site for a statue.
A spokesman for the GLA said: ‘The Mayor believes Baroness Thatcher deserves a prominent statue in a central London location and his team will assist with exploring suitable options.’
Lord Tebbit said that using the plinth in Trafalgar Square would enable Nelson to 'keep an eye on' Baroness Thatcher
Lord Tebbit said that using the plinth in Trafalgar Square would enable Nelson to 'keep an eye on' Baroness Thatcher
The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square has remained unfilled, but since 1998 has been used to showcase a rotating collection of artworks.
Since Baroness Thatcher’s death from a stroke was announced on Monday, the plinth has become the focus of calls for a permanent statue.
John Muxworthy, a Lt Commander on the SS Canberra during the Falklands War, said: ‘Let's have a full scale statue next to Nelson to recognise that she was at the heart of the nation. She was a great Briton, let's put her at the centre.
Former Tory party chairman Lord Tebbit added: 'I think it would be appropriate for her to be honoured publicly in the centre of London. She could be in Trafalgar, where Nelson could keep an eye on her.'
Tory MP Conor Burns, who visited Baroness Thatcher weekly, said the statue in the Commons already served to highlight her political impact.
‘I always say to young people when we go around Parliament, there are only two Prime Ministers of the twentieth century who are not wartime leaders who have statues in Members’ Lobby, they are Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher - arguably the only two Prime Ministers of the twentieth century to use their office to fundamentally try and change the country they governed, and I think that might inspire some young people.

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