Damian Thompson's Lives of the Saints: St Margaret Thatcher'

'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace...'

St Margaret Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 13 October 1925.

Her father was Alfred Roberts, originally from Northamptonshire, and her mother was Beatrice Ethel (née Stephenson) from Lincolnshire. She spent her childhood in Grantham, where her father owned two grocery shops. Nothing in this Saint's early life could have given us the indication that she would go onto such a blessed political career, steering the United Kingdom into what would become economic and social peace and harmony.

St Margaret's early life was humble and obscure but her astonishing political rise culminated in her electoral victory of 1979. Prior to this, however, St Margaret became known for great works of public charity when she was Education Minister, such as the abolition of free milk for schoolchildren.

Open-handed, she gave to the poor...

Thatcher became Prime Minister on 4 May 1979. Arriving at 10 Downing Street, she said, in a paraphrase of the "Prayer of Saint Francis":

'Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.' 

Shortly after this, St Margaret launched a war against some foreigners and hit the ground running in de-regulating the City of London while destroying mining communities and their livelihoods in the North of England because of the communist menace of unions.

The mining communities and other communities that relied on the manufacturing industry thanked her and rejoiced that henceforth, Britain could get its energy, clothes and televisions cheaper from other developing nations. Her people, above all, wanted the City to blossom and prosper and a new age of avarice to sweep the nation.

After a staggering political career St Margaret died in the Ritz, like many of the great political Saints of history. Join me next week when we look at the Lives of the Saints with Dan Hodges of The Telegraph, as we delve into life of St Anthony Blair of Islington.