30 years ago last weekend, Margaret Thatcher was quoting Francis of Assisi as she stood on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street after the Conservatives defeated of a long standing Labour Government.

She was taking over a country was in a sorry state. There was mass unemployment, rubbish lay uncollected in the streets, inflation was out of control, the unions were out of control and evidence has since emerged that some were even planning a military coup to avoid revolution.

If that sounds unbelievable to you, you were either too young to remember - or you weren’t there!

At the time conventional politics said that nothing counld be done. It was accepted across both the main political parties that it was inpossible to take on the Unions which effectively held the country at ransome whenever challenged or when constructive steps were attempted. After all the Unions had already destroyed firstly Edward Heath’s Government and then Jim Callaghan’s Labour Government.

Then along came Maggie.

Almost single handedly she tamed inflation, transformed the Unions and restored our commercial productivity. In doing so she transformed the “sick man of Europe” into an economic force once again.

Much has been written about her legacy and not everyone agrees that it was for the good. But it is a measure of her impact that she is still able to arouse powerful passion.

Today we carry out politics within a structure largely constructed within her 11 years in office. So whatever your views of her achievements, you cannot ignore her.