WOKE: Margaret Thatcher’s Portrait Removed From 10 Downing Street

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing criticism for allegedly trying to appease the left-wing faction of his party by removing a portrait of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from her old study at 10 Downing Street.

Starmer, who assumed office in July, reportedly found the portrait “unsettling,” leading to its removal, according to a report by The Daily Mail on Friday.

The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the account shared by Starmer’s biographer, Tom Baldwin, that the portrait had indeed been taken down from the Thatcher Room, a space the current prime minister has chosen not to use as his study.

In an interview, Baldwin recounted a visit to the room where the portrait hung, noting that it had been funded by an anonymous donor and unveiled in 2009. Baldwin described the room as a “place where we can go and have a private talk,” as Starmer had mentioned. He recalled saying, “It’s a bit unsettling with her staring down at you like that, isn’t it?” to which Starmer reportedly agreed.

Baldwin further revealed that he inquired if Starmer planned to “get rid of it,” and Starmer responded with a nod.

In a social media post on Thursday, Baldwin suggested that the portrait might now be displayed “somewhere else in the building,” or that such a plan was in the works, as reported by the BBC.

Government minister Jacqui Smith addressed the controversy during an interview with GB News on Friday, noting that Starmer, who had previously lauded Thatcher for bringing “meaningful change” to the nation, now finds himself in a no-win situation, according to Politico.

“A few months ago he was being criticized for talking about Margaret Thatcher’s legacy and the elements of her leadership that he respected, and now he’s being criticized for asking for a few pictures to be moved around,” Smith said. She also noted that a portrait of Thatcher still remains in a Downing Street gallery alongside those of other former prime ministers.

Smith did not clarify the current location of the removed portrait but assured, “Just to be clear, there are portraits of Margaret Thatcher as there are of all previous prime ministers in No. 10, and that, of course, is absolutely right.”

The removed portrait, which depicts Thatcher at the height of her power following the Falklands War in 1982, was commissioned by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007 and painted by royal portrait artist Richard Stone. It holds the distinction of being the first portrait of a former prime minister commissioned by Downing Street.

Sir John Redwood, who led Thatcher’s policy unit, expressed little surprise at Starmer’s decision to remove the portrait, remarking that Starmer “wouldn’t want to be embarrassed by comparison with a far better prime minister.”

Redwood, however, described the new prime minister as “pessimistic” and stated that he was “very relieved” Starmer wouldn’t have to endure Thatcher’s portrait watching over him.

“I can quite understand why he would find that deeply embarrassing,” Redwood remarked. “Margaret Thatcher believed in the British people and knew we had great opportunities and great talents and there was nothing we couldn’t do. She was positive and optimistic, and he is pessimistic, negative and nasty.”

Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir John Whittingdale, who served as Thatcher’s political secretary, emphasized that the portrait was an “important part of history” and had been displayed in a room “much associated with her.”

Removing the portrait, he continued, “looks like playing to the left, who do not share most people’s admiration of her and he’s probably appeasing his left-wing backbenchers.”

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also criticized Starmer’s action as “petty.”

“As soon as he gets in he wants to get rid of Margaret Thatcher’s picture,” Duncan Smith said. “Why? Because that is red meat to his hard left. It’s a very simple gesture that says to the hard left, ‘Don’t worry, I share your view of Thatcher as well.'”

{Matzav.com}