Farage and Galloway highlight Britain’s divided stance on Thatcher

During a visit to her hometown of Grantham in Lincolnshire, where he signed a condolence book in her memory, Mr Farage said she had changed British politics with her policies and robust demeanour.

Asked what he admired about her, he said: “Leadership – something that’s really very lacking in British politics today – conviction, belief.

“I was somebody that benefited under Thatcher, and I completely accept that people from South Yorkshire coalfields have a different point of view.

“I understand that, but I think that whether you liked her or didn’t like her, she was an incredibly patriotic brave lady and everything she did she genuinely believed was in the best interests of this country.”

Her death was “sad”, he said, but could not be called a tragedy when she had lived to an old age.

He went on: “It makes me reflect and I look back, it was a very difficult time.

“Was the United Kingdom a better place in 1990 than it had been in 1979? Well to me, that’s a no-brainer. It was infinitely a better place.”

In stark contrast, Bradford West MP George Galloway yesterday defended his inflammatory comments made about Lady Thatcher within hours of her death,

The Respect MP sparked fury on Monday by tweeting “tramp the dirt down”, in a reference to an anti-Thatcher Elvis Costello song, and ‘may she burn in the hellfires”.

In a lengthy statement, Mr Galloway said it would have been “utter hypocrisy” to have remained silent after opposing the Tory leader for so long.

“I hated Margaret Thatcher for what seems like all my life,” he wrote. “It would have been utter hypocrisy for me to have remained silent about her crimes today whilst the political class – including New Labour – poured honeyed words, lies actually, over her blood-spattered record.

“I could not do it. I believe I spoke for millions.”

Speaking from the Netherlands, Mr Galloway added that he would not be attending today’s debate in the Commons, as it would be nothing more than a “state-organised eulogy”.