A council leader in the East Midlands has caused a stir in his community after suggesting the local museum should rename after Margaret Thatcher.
Cllr Ashley Baxter of South Kesteven District Council claimed the former Prime Minister’s name would serve as a greater attraction for tourists visiting Grantham where Mrs Thatcher was born.
Grantham Museum has disagreed with the Independent councillor arguing “there’s so much more to Grantham than Margaret Thatcher.”
Sir Isaac Newton, the physicist that developed the laws of gravity, was born in the Lincolnshire town and, in more recent history, the Dambuster raids were planned there.
Cllr Baxter said: “Far more people have heard of Margaret Thatcher than Grantham. If it is a way to get more people to visit Grantham Museum then the name would help.”
“I’m not even a fan of Margaret Thatcher, I’m not a Conservative, but I recognise she still divides opinion.
“Because of that reaction I think people are more likely to wonder about what’s in the museum.”
Mrs Thatcher, who died in 2013, was the Conservative Prime Minister between 1979 and 1990 after winning three successive elections. Her premiership oversaw the Falklands War and Cold War, plus the miners’ strike.
A statue of Mrs Thatcher in Grantham, erected in May 2022, has been vandalised numerous times. It had previously been rejected for a position in Westminster due to concerns about protest and damage.
Grantham Museum is run by volunteers without an entry fee but accepts donations.
It features a gallery sharing the story of Mrs Thatcher from her birth in the town to life in politics.
Vivienne Reichelt, Manager at Grantham Museum, said “It should not be called the Margaret Thatcher Museum because it’s about Grantham town.”
“People in Grantham are split. Some people love her and others can’t stand her. She is complete Marmite.”
Conservative councillors in South Kesteven have found the Independent Leader’s position puzzling.
Cllr Ben Green said “Truth is, we had no idea that Councillor Baxter, a creature of the hard left that opposed the Thatcher statue, was a sudden devotee.”
He continued “While Margaret Thatcher is a political titan, we feel locally that she shouldn’t crowd out the rest of our history.”
https://www.gbnews.com/news/grantham-margaret-thatcher-statue-outrage