Baroness Thatcher

London, April 25 (Reuters): They may have inhabited different political universes but, it seems, the Labour party and Margaret Thatcher were not necessarily worlds apart.

Clarity of message ? a particular strength of the Iron Lady ? is vital, two senior Labour figures said today.

Baroness Thatcher, 79, who arouses wrath in most self-respecting Labour voters, was Prime Minister for 11 years from 1979.

While many Opposition Conservatives view her as one of last century?s greatest British leaders, most Labour supporters cannot forgive her for privatising swathes of British industry and slashing the power of the trade unions.

But are they now thinking what she?s thinking?

In the last full week of campaigning before May 5?s election, trade minister Patricia Hewitt appeared to pay tribute to Thatcher?s economic record.

?I worked for Labour when Margaret Thatcher was leader of the Conservatives ... nobody could ever say she failed to grasp the centrality of the economy to any serious election campaign,? Hewitt told Labour?s daily news conference.

Then, in a bid to expose what he described as the Conservatives? ?threadbare? economic plans, finance minister Gordon Brown went even further.

?Everybody understands that the central message of the (Conservative) party through the 1980s and indeed the early 1990s was competence on the economy,? said Brown.

Arguing the Opposition?s plans ?threw caution to the wind?, Brown said the details of the Conservatives? current economic proposals ?would appal Mrs Thatcher?.

Blair?s policies on climate change are a ?massive betrayal? of the British people, the Green Party said in a bid to inject environmental issues into the election.