Baroness Thatcher's divisive politics and her enduring legacy have dominated the media since her death yesterday, with reaction in Britain's newspapers inevitably reflecting the political spectrum.

The Daily Mail lauds Lady Thatcher today as "the woman who saved Britain", calling for her to be given a full state funeral, despite her wishes. In its editorial it praises her as a leader who "changed the landscape of politics, at home and through the world, in ways that reverberate to this day", calling her "a giant, beside whom other peacetime politicians of the 20th and 21st centuries look like mere pygmies".

In his commentary in the newspaper Sir Max Hastings says that she "restored the primacy of individual opportunity to a nation crippled by the burdens of state collectivism", saying: "If Britain prospers in the 21st Century, our debt to Margaret Thatcher will be greater than to any of her successors."

The Daily Telegraph, with a portrait of the former prime minister dominating its front page, offers similar plaudits across more than 25 pages of tributes and coverage of her death, saying: "If Britain is still Great, it is because of this greatest of Britons."

In a nod to the enduring impact of her policies, a cartoon depicts the long shadow of Lady Thatcher's black handbag looming over the door of 10 Downing Street, while the leader says: "So completely has her legacy shaped modern Britain, so fully have she and her ideas been woven into its fabric, that it can be hard to appreciate the full depth of our debt to this most extraordinary of individuals."

The Times calls Lady Thatcher "A Woman of Simple Truths", saying "On the big issues of her time, she made the right choices", while the Independent said she "set the standard for how to wield prime ministerial power".

The Guardian underlines the polarising impact Baroness Thatcher's politics had on Britain, saying: "There should be no dancing on her grave but it is right there is no state funeral either. Her legacy is of public division, private selfishness and a cult of greed, which together shackle far more of the human spirit than they ever set free."

The Daily Mirror, meanwhile is incredulous about plans for a ceremonial funeral, saying her politics left "bruised and bloodied casualties". In its editorial the newspaper says: "Margaret Thatcher broke Britain and replaced what had come before with something crueller, nastier", calling her premiership "disastrous".

The Sun says Lady Thatcher was a "Unique PM of great courage", admiring her for sticking to her principles and saying Britain emerged "far stronger" for the policies she steered through.

Regional newspapers also reflected the deep divisions Baroness Thatcher inspired across Britain. The front page of the Star in Sheffield, a city that felt a deep impact from her policies on mining, reads: "We Can Never Forgive Her", while The Herald in Scotland sums up her life in politics: "Thatcher: Passing of a political giant loved and hated in equal measure".