The institution that taught Margaret Thatcher about politics

“We could certainly fit 22 in here,” says Lee Steptoe, a Labour Party councillor, as he surveys an upstairs room in Grantham’s Guildhall. The room is large and imposing, with Victorian arched windows and faux Corinthian columns. Long ago weighty political decisions were made in the building. Perhaps, after the forthcoming local elections, they will be again.In May the people of Grantham, a town of 45,000 in the East Midlands, will elect a local council for the first time in half a century. The 22 councillors will have hardly any powers at first, and will not be paid. The council’s budget for the first year will be a measly £46,000 ($58,000). The election will nonetheless be one of the most delightful political events this year. For Conservative Party history buffs, it might be the most resonant.