UPDATE ! January 2018 - Westminster Council have turned down the application for this statue. They feel less strongly about the ten-year rule, and have based their decision more on the quality of the sculpture.
July 2017 STATUE BLOCKED ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40529770
May 2017 - Our response to Westminster City Council (Nelson Mandela statue details corrected 7th July 2017)
We acknowledge the significance of Lady Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister and the longest serving of the twentieth century, but we feel that the principle of leaving a ten-year gap between the death of a subject and the erection of a public memorial should in this case be adhered to. We note that the statue of Nelson Mandela was erected before he died but that should not set a precedent, especially as Mandela was an entirely uncontroversial figure, respected throughout the world. 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 ten-year rule to be respected - 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.
For further details or to give your own comments to WCC, follow this link (CLICK HERE)
