Cameron praises Thatcher as 'one of the greatest prime ministers of all time'

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As he presented his predecessor with a lifetime achievement award, the Conservative leader described her as one of the "towering figures of the past 50 years".

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Thatcher and Cameron: The past and present Conservative leaders strike a formal pose at last night's ceremony

Mr Cameron said the "whole country - and every political party, whether they acknowledge it or not - owes Margaret Thatcher a debt of gratitude".

The frail former premier, now 82, said she was "deeply honoured2 by the award.

"It was a great privilege to be Prime Minister during a period when our economy was transformed and our standing on the world stage restored," she added.

Mr Cameron's remarks, at the Morgan Stanley Great Britons Awards at London's Guildhall, are the latest stage in the Tories reclaiming the mantle of Lady Thatcher after years of unease over her legacy.

Gordon Brown's audacious move to marshal the former prime minister to his cause by inviting her to Downing Street last summer ironically appears to have "decontaminated" the Thatcher brand for the Conservatives.

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Meeting the opposition: Thatcher was invited back to Downing Street last September by Gordon Brown

At last night's gala dinner Mr Cameron said: "As one of the towering figures of the past 50 years, Baroness Thatcher modernised and transformed our country and once again gave Britain a powerful voice in world affairs."

Describing her as "the greatest peace-time prime minister of the 20th century and one of the great prime ministers of all time," he went on: "She rescued our country from economic disaster - but she did much more.

"She rescued our people from despair - the belief that nothing could change for the better and that the best politicians could do was manage decline gracefully."