A STATUE of Margaret Thatcher has been officially unveiled in her hometown despite the presence of protesters.
The £300,000 memorial had previously been guarded by fences, which did not deter university worker Jeremy Webster from throwing eggs at it shortly after it was lowered onto a 10ft-high granite plinth in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on May 15.
Lincolnshire Police said officers were also investigating possible criminal damage after red paint was thrown at the statue on Saturday.
A large-scale £100,000 unveiling ceremony was approved by South Kesteven District Council in 2020, but only a crowd of 30 and a lone bagpiper were present to mark the occasion on Tuesday.
A Union flag was draped over the memorial before the mayor of Grantham pulled a cord to uncover two plaques, with one reading: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Shortly before the ceremony, a woman threw coffee in the direction of the statue, while others displayed placards such as “Grantham resident against Maggie” and “Thatcher sold off Britain, who paid the price?”
One man walked by chanting “take it down, take it down” and another shouted “it’s an absolute waste of money”.
READ MORE: Scottish Government allocates £20 million for independence referendum in 2023
Two CCTV cameras were put up before the installation to combat any threats of vandalism, and police turned up in minutes when Webster egged the memorial.
The council said the unveiling had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Webster, who is deputy director at the University of Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre, was fined £90 under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
In February 2019, a planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the statue, which was originally intended for Parliament Square in Westminster.
Before planning permission was given, the only marking for Baroness Thatcher in the town was a plaque on the corner of North Parade and Broad Street to show where she was born.
After the ceremony, council leader Kelham Cooke, said: “The memorial… was paid for by public donations to the Public Memorials Appeal (PMA) and it is only right that they should have held a ceremony marking the completion of the project.
“Following its installation on May 15 the memorial was expected to be a talking point and a focus for debate attracting a range of opinions, and that has proved to be the case.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel