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Former US president Ronald Reagan is set to be honoured with a statue in central London.
Westminster City Council granted planning permission for the sculpture to be erected outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square.
To allow the statue to go ahead, the council has changed its usual policy of allowing memorials only to people who have been dead for 10 or more years.
The application was made by Jennie Elias, the London-based president of the Reagan Memorial Fund Trust.
Steve Summers, chairman of Westminster City Council's planning applications sub committee, said: "Regardless of politics, nobody can dispute that President Reagan was a true ally of this country.
"During his presidency the term 'special relationship' reflected not just the close working partnership of our respective governments, but helped reinforce Britain's unquestionable cultural and historic ties with the United States.
"Subsequent presidencies have continued that unique bond between our countries so it is only right and proper we exempt President Reagan, as a former head of state, from the usual rules on statues."
Mr Reagan died in 2004 at the age of 93. He served as the US president between 1981 and 1989.
His presidential era coincided with the end of the Cold War, with Margaret Thatcher saying he had "a higher claim than any other leader to have won the Cold War for liberty and he did it without a shot being fired".
To acknowledge Mr Reagan's contribution to the end of the Cold War, a piece of the Berlin Wall will be installed in front of the statue.
Mr Summers added: "Those who witnessed the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 described the feeling in the air that night as electric, as if some great force had been let loose and it is fitting we should pay tribute to Reagan's contribution to bringing down this barrier between east and west, and subsequently changing the world.
"The site which houses the US embassy is a fitting place to acknowledge this great man."
American Chas Fagan will sculpt the 10ft high bronze statue which will stand on a 6ft Portland stone plinth.
It will stand opposite the statue of Dwight D Eisenhower outside the US embassy.
Mr Reagan's presidency was fraught with controversy, with the bombing of Libya and his hard-line stance with communist governments across the world.
His economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics", were also criticised for raising national debt.
Before politics, Mr Reagan enjoyed a successful film career, starring in Knute Rockne, All American and Kings Row.
He went on to become president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Reader views (21)
What did Reagan do for the UK. He kept the Russians out of your back yard at great cost to the American taxpayer
- Ian, Doncaster
Mark--you will find that the Irish Kennedy clan, which were Democrats, we instrumental to aiding the IRA. Reagan and the Republicans were strongly behind Thatcher on that score.
- Ruckus (Ex-Pat), Myrtle Beach USA
A better speaker and slightly more animated than the real thing was. With a higher IQ.
- Squiz, Islington
I have lived long enough to come to believe that few things in a man’s character are as unattractive as a lack of gratitude. To insist, as Mr. Rashid Razaq does, that Ronald Reagan’s presidency “coincided with the end of the Cold War” and insouciantly refer to his “contribution to the end of the Cold War” is to reveal oneself as a protagonist for the Left’s revision of history. Ronald Reagan won the Cold War because he, and he alone, was willing to put the full might of the United States of America to work in order to push back evil, and his contribution in this endeavor was as essential as the American contribution in defeating the Axis powers during World War II. I should like to think that in the United Kingdom there are still those who hold themselves to the moral conduct of a gentleman and recognize the immense and especially invaluable debt owed Ronald Reagan and his country for freedom. I should also like to imagine that in the mind of a gentleman it must be an honor to be asked to host the site for such a man’s memorial.
- Carl Peter Åkerhielm, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
An FBI informer, a liar to Congress, a supplier of arms to terrorists, did nothing to help the UK fight the IRA terrorists, in short a complete hypocrit in the true American sense, yes a statue is deserved..........
- Ian Hendry, Boston USA
Please, please, please invite oboma to dedicate it.
- Frank, ex-England
ha ha ha ha .... when did ANY american do anything for world piece. The most dangerous country in the world by far. As for the embassy in London, with all it's fortifications it's an eyesore. They should move it to some secret underground bunker outside London.
- Jj, London
Its a disgrace, he was as bad if not worse than Bush. The illegal invasion of Grenada as a knee jerk reaction to events in Lebanon frighteningly similar
to the illegal invasion of Iraq as a knee jerk reaction to 9/11.
Rogan, its your views that are misinformed. Try reading something other than US propaganda!
- Joss, Manila
erect him somewhere in Brixton london
- Kc, London
Reagan was a threat to world peace and a statue erected to honour him is an insult to those who cherish peace.
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
...all the usual suspects (and a couple more) whinging because as American has been considered as worthy candidate for a memorial statue. Their blinkered, myopic and extremely biased - or just misinformed views not withstanding, this man did more for world peace than ANYONE in recent years.
Live with it!
- Rogan, Irving
It would be nice to have him placed next to a statue of our beloved Princess David.
- Keith, King's Cross, London
Strange choice. He was a nice enough man but hardly an outstanding President.
- Scotty, Cambridge UK
Please can we have one of George W. Bush and Tony Blair?
- R.F., Yorks, UK
Why please? I know he was a cowboy actor and for a while a president but what has he ever done for Britain?
- Mike, London England
Looks as if it has been modelled by the same people who did Wallace & Grommit. And a strange place to want to put it - the US Embassy will shortly relocate to Wandsworth!
- Jb, London
This will shame London. I hope it's defaced at the earliest opportunity.
- Laura, London
Could a water feature not be incorporated into it?
- Bloke, London
Wish I was a pigeon
- Doug, UK
How many statues have been erected in the States for British people of note recently?
Regan? Mandela? What did these people do for the British people?
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
"Regardless of politics, nobody can dispute that President Reagan was a true ally of this country."
Really? Does anybody recall him deporting any IRA murderers to the UK or reigning-in Republican Senators from fund raising for them? No neither do I.
This bloke invaded Grenada on a false pretext.
There should be no statue of him in the UK.
- Mark, South-East London
