A CAMPAIGN to honour three times British Prime Minister and Bewdley's greatest son, Stanley Baldwin, could finish on the highest political note at the official unveiling of his statue in his birth town.

Members of the Stanley Baldwin Statue Appeal hope the current British Prime Minister, Theresa May, will visit the town in December and officiate at the ceremony.

Mrs May is already a patron of the appeal and has offered her support to the project.

In a response to the invitation to become a patron of the Stanley Baldwin Statue Appeal, she said: "Stanley Baldwin should be recognised as one of the most significant figures of 20th century British politics. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party of 14 years and served our nation as Prime Minister three times under three different monarchs.

"It was he who coined the phrased ‘One Nation’, and he put it into practice with important social reforms – introducing the first comprehensive pensions scheme, extending health insurance and unemployment benefit and giving women the vote on the same terms as men.

"As Prime Minister of a One Nation Conservative Government, I am delighted to hear of the plans to erect a statue in his honour in his birthplace and former constituency of Bewdley. I fully support this appeal and wish it every success in reaching its target."

The life-size bronze statue is being created by sculptor Martin Jennings - renowned for his figure of Sir John Betjeman in St Pancras Station - and is expected to cost up to £150,000.

The fundraising appeal was launched at the House of Lords in January, followed by a major fundraising dinner at Hagley Hall. The statue appeal has now reached just under £80,000.

Richard Perrin, chairman of the Bewdley Civic Society and a member of the statue appeal committee, said he was delighted with the way the appeal has progressed.

Mr Perrin said: "We are nearly at the £80,000 mark which is over half way. We have had two major events and we are on target. We have still got some way to go though.

"It is always difficult to predict how a fund-raising campaign like this will go but we are very pleased with the situation."

He said the sculptor has promised the statue will be finished by December for it to be unveiled in Bewdley’s Load Street this year – the 150th anniversary of Baldwin’s birth in the town.

"We are hoping that Theresa May will be able to come to Bewdley to unveil it,” said Mr Perrin.

Anyone wanting to donate to the Bewdley Civic Society statue appeal can visit localgiving.org/charity/bewdley-civic-society/project/stanleybaldwinstatueappeal/ or send a cheque to Bewdley Civic Society SB Account, 16 Park Dingle, Bewdley, DY12 2JY.