A ten-foot tall bronze statue of Mrs Thatcher, said to have cost £300,000, by an award-winning sculptor, Douglas Jennings, has become the subject of heated argument in Grantham, where the local Conservative Council wants to put it up on a green in the middle of the town. In a letter published in The Times on December 7, Alistair Lexden condemned this statue.
Sir, Of course Mrs Thatcher should have a statue (Thunderer, Dec 4), but not the one turned down in 2018 by Westminster city council which has ended up in Grantham. It is nowhere good enough. There is no hint of the iron lady in this bronze monstrosity. She looks like the demure mayoress of a modest provincial town. Westminster council asked Mark and Carol Thatcher to signify their approval. The council made clear it had not received this approval when they turned down the object.
Lord Lexden
Conservative Party historian