MP Mike Freer calls for a ‘Margaret Thatcher Road’ in Finchley
Mike Freer beside the portait of Margaret Thatcher in Portcullis House, Westminster. Picture: Polly Hancock. - Credit: Archant
Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer has called for a street in Finchley to be renamed after Margaret Thatcher as a tribute.
The Conservative MP asked Barnet Council to look into the idea after the death of Baroness Thatcher from a stroke on Monday. April 8.
At this stage, it is not known where in Finchley any memorial would be located or whether it would even be a street that would commemorate the former prime minister.
“It is still early days and the council will have to go through its procedure to decide whether it is a road or a building – but I wanted to get them thinking about it,” said Mr Freer.
“She was the MP for Finchley for 33 years and an outstanding constituency MP and I think it is right that the borough recognises her contribution to civic life.”
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As MP for the Finchley constituency, which was abolished in 1997, Baroness Thatcher represented a portion of Hampstead Garden Suburb up until 1974 – when boundary changes meant it became part of the Hendon South constituency.
Council leader Richard Cornelius, a Conservative councillor, said: “This is something the council is keen to look into and, while there are no concrete plans as yet, it would be a fitting tribute to someone who served Finchley with such distinction for more than 30 years.”
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The council is no stranger to naming buildings and roads after former local politicians, having renamed a road off High Street, in High Barnet, after former Chipping Barnet MP Sydney Chapman.
“There’s a long track record of these kind of tributes in Barnet – we have Sydney Chapman Way and we’ve also got Barbara Langstone House,” said Mr Freer.
East Finchley Labour councillor Arjun Mittra said: “I’m sure many people in Finchley would agree with Mike Freer and we have a tradition in the borough of trying to name roads after former MPs.
“But one thing I would say is that it is three years since Rudi Vis passed away and we would like to see a road named after him.”
