HE once said "poverty does not concern Mrs Thatcher" and accused her of wanting to "eradicate the right to education and health services as we know them".

Yesterday, 20 years later, Gordon Brown welcomed the former Conservative Prime Minister and Labour hate-figure through the No 10 door with a warm smile.

It was an image to send shock-waves through Labour supporters. After all, at least when Tony Blair invited her to Downing Street, he sneaked her in through the back door.

But Mr Brown knows the impact of Lady Thatcher's implicit endorsement on Tories disillusioned by David Cameron's touchy-feely leadership - and, more importantly, so does she.

According to Labour, the Iron Lady was offered a choice of dates to visit No 10 - and chose the day the Tory leader turned his back on Thatcherism by proposing, God save-us, tax hikes.

Lady Thatcher, for health reasons, does not say much these days, but she did not need too. The picture spoke a thousand words.

The calm reaction of Mr Cameron's spokesman - "the visit is of no political significance" - fooled no one.

Earlier this month, Mr Brown drew gasps of astonishment by praising Lady Thatcher as a "conviction politician", but yesterday's handshake easily trumped that.

In a stroke, the Prime Minister exposed glaring Tory divisions, while the Iron Lady got her revenge on the man accused, by her supporters, of trying to air-brush her out of Conservative history.