LORD Waddington, Lady Thatcher’s last Home Secretary, remembers her breaking the political mould and becoming the first party leader to campaign in a by-election when he won Ribble Valley in February 1979 – just months before she became Prime Minister.

The Burnley-born 83-year-old said last night: “I remember meeting her on the by-pass near Whalley and we went straight to a mill in Padiham. At first, she got a pretty chilly reception but she won people over with her sheer enthusiasm.

“By the time we got to Clitheroe, the streets were so packed with people you could scarcely move. It was a triumphant visit.

“Her death is very sad. She was an immense political figure.

“It would be presumptuous to say she was my friend but it was a privilege to know and work with her.

“She stood up to the overmighty unions and, with Ronald Reagan, stood up to the Soviet Union and helped end the Cold War making the world a much better place for everyone.

“When her advisers were telling her we could not retake the Falkland Islands, she decided we could and we did.”

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: “She was a remarkable woman and politician, whether one agreed with her or not. She made changes that needed to be made although sometimes brutally.”

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said:”Margaret Thatcher was a political colossus and a force of nature. As the first female prime minister, she represents a landmark in British politics.”

Former Rossendale and Darwen MP Sir David Trippier, who served as minister under her, said: “She was formidable. She restored the self-esteem of the country. She was the finest Prime Minister of the 20th century.”