Proposals for Margaret Thatcher statue near parliament turned down | Politics
A controversial proposal for a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square has run into trouble after the government, Royal Parks and neighbours lodged objections to the application.
The Royal Parks manages the land on which the statue would be sited but said it refused permission on the grounds that it has not been given assurances that Thatcher’s family approve of the monument.
The £300,000 work was commissioned by the Public Memorials Appeal, after the former Conservative prime minister’s death in 2013. However, Thatcher’s daughter, Carol, sent a letter to the charity last year objecting to the absence of a handbag in the design.
Neighbours have also raised concerns that it could be a target for vandalism given the short time since her death and divisive nature of Thatcher’s premiership.
It would have stood on a stone plinth on the west side of Parliament Square on Canning Green between the statues of George Canning and Abraham Lincoln.
Responding jointly with the government, Matthew Oakley, estates officer, said: “The chief executive of the Royal Parks, Mr Andrew Scattergood, has spoken with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and I am responding on behalf of both the Royal Parks and government.
“The Royal Parks is responsible for the management of Canning Green and it has not given permission for the installation for this statue. The applicant has failed to give the reassurances the Royal Parks has sought, and therefore the proposal has not yet been put to our board.
“The Royal Parks objects to the proposals contained in this planning application and offers no permissions for the installation of the statue.â€
A submission from the Thorney Island Society, representing residents, said they acknowledged the significance of Thatcher as the first female prime minister and longest serving of the 20th century but felt that the 10-year gap between the death of a subject and erection of a public memorial should be observed.
“We note that the statue of Nelson Mandela was erected only six years after his death, but that should not set a precedent, especially as Mandela was an entirely uncontroversial figure, respected throughout the world,†Lucy Peck wrote on behalf of the society.
“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 â€" there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.
“We also feel that the quality of the sculpture does not do justice either to the subject or the site. The understated and reverential character of the statue is disappointing given that the Churchill statue is so much more interesting. We understand that Lady Thatcher’s daughter dislikes the statue.â€
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