Council to review £100k launch of Margaret Thatcher statue

The plan will be considered by a scrutiny committee

The statue will come to 20ft once erected on its plinth (PA)

A Conservative-led council’s plan to fund a £100,000 unveiling event for a £300,000 statue of Margaret Thatcher in the centre of her home town, Grantham, will be re-evaluated.

The monument to the controversial Tory prime minster was set to be erected in Grantham after plans to put it up in London were turned down. 

In 2013, the leader of the Labour group on the London Assembly criticised the idea as inappropriate, saying that erecting a statue of Ms Thatcher in Trafalgar Square, the site of the poll tax riots, “would be crass triumphalism”.

The sculpture was instead offered to South Kesteven District Council.

Now, an independent councillor has demanded scrutiny of the plan to underwrite the launch event.

Ashley Baxter has requested a review by the scrutiny committee, which could overturn the decision by the Conservative-led council, according to a report in the Lincolnite.

He told the local news outlet: "The decision has been taken entirely by local members of the Conservative party without even a proper opportunity for discussion, let alone a vote.

"There is no clear outline business plan explaining how third-party funding will be acquired, let alone why the council has somehow taken on responsibility for the fundraising."

South Kesteven District Council has said it "fully expected" the spending on the event to be reimbursed in donations, while council leader Kelham Cooke added that the ceremony "provides a fantastic opportunity for the Grantham community to celebrate its heritage and to promote the district".

The council has said it will put the imposing monument to the divisive leader on a 10ft (3m) plinth, to discourage vandalism, raising the entire structure to a height of 20ft (6m) overall.

Fears of politically-motivated vandalism and protest appeared to be well-founded, with more than 2,300 people pledging to show up to an “egg-throwing contest” on day the statue is unveiled.

The monument cost £300,000, and was acquired largely through public fundraising, private donations and supporters of Grantham Museum.