Fareham Borough Council leader Sean Woodward paid tribute to Margaret Thatcher who died today (April 8) calling her the “greatest Prime Minister this country has had”.
Margaret Thatcher in Fareham five years ago
Conservative Councillor Woodward said it was sad that Baroness Thatcher had passed away aged 87 after suffering a stroke. Lady Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990 and was the first woman to hold the role.
Cllr Woodward said: “She was a fantastic Prime Minister. I met her on quite a few occasions. The most notable being five years ago when she came to Fareham. We had huge crowds who came to see her open the Falklands Arch.
“It was a fantastic day when she came to Fareham.
“She has changed over the years. When I met her when she was in power she had an aura. I carried her handbag once as she was signing autographs.
“I met her again after she left office and wasn’t in power and we still had an amazing conversation and she was telling me about her work in the House of Lords.
Margaret Thatcher with the KIDS charity during her visit to Fareham
“My first vote was in 1979 and that was when she came in.
“When I was at school I remember the power going out, rubbish in the streets and the dead unburied and she totally transformed the country.
“In my opinion she was the greatest Prime Minister this country has ever had and probably ever will have.”
The Union flag at Fareham’s Civic Offices has been lowered to half-mast today and will not be raised again until the funeral has taken place, said Cllr Woodward, who is councillor for Sarisbury ward.
He added: “We have a meeting tonight which most of the council will be at and I will be asking councillors to stand for a minute’s silence.
“Certainly out of respect we won’t be campaigning this evening for my party.”
A date for the funeral ceremony has not yet been set, but will have full military honours and take place at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Union flag above 10 Downing Street has also been lowered to half-mast.
Lady Thatcher, who was born Margaret Roberts, served as MP for Finchley, north London, from 1959 to 1992.
Her government privatised several state-owned industries and when she was in power, the UK went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.
