Conservatives are enthusiastically discussing Thatcher's absence.
The location of Margaret Thatcher's portrait in Downing Street remains a contentious issue within the Conservative Party. The absence of her portrait in "Downing Street No. 10" has caused an uproar, with both "Telegraph" and "Daily Mail" reporting its disappearance from its original spot – the Thatcher Room. Even after a decade since her demise, Thatcher, known for her firm stance on social policies, maintains a strong fanbase.
According to "Guardian", the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has ordered the removal of the gilded portrait, as revealed by his biographer Tom Baldwin. Previously, Baldwin had quoted Starmer as finding the portrait unsettling and expressing intentions to remove it. Baldwin's words were, "And he did."
Former Interior Minister Priti Patel, now running for the Conservative Party's leadership, disparaged Starmer's actions. "His priority is not to serve the country, his priority is literally just to tinker at the edges and hide behind great portraits of great Conservative Prime Ministers," she stated. Former Tory Minister John Redwood alleged that Starmer was pulling down the country.
Commissioned by Labour Leader Brown
The portrait, an artwork by Richard Stone, depicts Thatcher in 1982, following Britain's success against Argentina in the Falkland Islands and at the zenith of her power. It was commissioned by the then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown – a social democrat, similar to Starmer – and has been hanging in Downing Street since 2009. The costs, amounting to £100,000 (equivalent to approximately €200,000 today), were met by an anonymous donor.
Education Secretary Jacqui Smith asserted that the portrait would remain in Downing Street, opining that Starmer was more concerned with fulfilling his duties to improve the nation than with art placements. She said, "The Prime Minister is probably more interested in getting on with his job to make the country work properly than where pictures are located."
Keir Stirmer, the new Prime Minister, has drawn criticism for his decision to remove the gilded portrait of Margaret Thatcher from Downing Street, a move that was previously revealed by his biographer, Tom Baldwin. Despite the controversy, it should be noted that the portrait was commissioned by a previous Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who was also a social democrat like Stirmer.
