Margaret Thatcher funeral: Dame Shirley Bassey and Jeremy Clarkson to attend but Neil Kinnock has another to go to The Iron Lady's main political rival has turned down his invite today Funeral of friend is in his former Welsh constituency of Islwyn 1,200 people will be asked to attend the service at St Paul's next Wednesday Nancy Reagan another dignitary who is not be able to come to London Lord Heseltine to attend despite his falling out with his then Tory leader Snub: Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has decided to attend a different funeral next Wednesday Neil Kinnock has today snubbed an invite to Baroness Thatcher's funeral. The former Labour leader has instead chosen to attend a memorial service for a former councillor in Wales next Wednesday. He will not be attending because a councillor in his old constituency died a few days before Lady Thatcher. He promised he would go to the funeral,' his spokesman said. Around 2,000 invitations are being sent out, with guests including former prime ministers, Hillary Clinton, Lord Archer and Jeremy Clarkson, Downing Street said today. It has emerged former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will not attend Baroness Thatcher's funeral due to ill health as Downing Street started sending invites round the world today. The 82-year-old, who paid tribute to Lady Thatcher as a 'heavyweight politician and a striking person' following her death on Monday, was expected to be one of many global figures to attend next week. His spokesman, Vladimir Polyakov, said he would not be attending due to health problems. Number 10 said the guest list had been drawn up by Lady Thatcher's family and representatives with the assistance of the Government and the Conservative Party. More than 2,000 invitations are expected to be printed today and sent out tomorrow. Altogether 2,300 people are set to pack St Paul's. A spokeswoman said: 'Those invited include family and friends of Lady Thatcher, those who worked with her over the years, including all surviving members of her Cabinets, former Chiefs of Staff, Conservative associates, peers and MPs, members of the Cabinet, peers and MPs, members of the Order of the Garter, members of the Order of Merit, foreign associates and dignitaries and representatives from the wide range of groups she was associated with. 'In agreement with Lady Thatcher's representatives, around 200 states, territories and international organisations are being invited to send an official representative to the funeral service. We have invited those countries and institutions with whom we have normal diplomatic relations. In addition, there are invitations being made in a personal capacity to some current and former world leaders as well as others from overseas who had a close connection to Baroness Thatcher. Celebrities: Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson and Dame Shirley Bassey, pictured at Lady Thatcher's 80th birthday, will be attending the service at St Paul's next Wednesday 'A man we can do business with': Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev during a meeting at the Kremlin in 1987 Mr Gorbachev is not the only high-profile name who is too unwell to attend. Last night Nancy Reagan's spokeswoman said that, although she was 'heartbroken' over Lady Thatcher's death, she would not be attending and had asked the chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to represent her. All surviving former prime ministers All surviving former US Presidents and a Reagan family representative Hillary Clinton All surviving members of Lady Thatcher's Cabinets The current Cabinet Ed Miliband European Commission President Jose Manuel Fredrick Forsyth CBE Mr & Mrs Michael Portillo F.W. de Klerk A representative of Nelson Mandela Dame Shirley Bassey DBE Jeremy Clarkson Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber Lord and Lady Archer Michael Portillo and his wife Carolyn Lady Thatcher's former press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham, and his wife Lady Ingham Novelist Frederick Forsyth Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia 'Mrs Reagan is heartbroken over Baroness Thatcher's death and would really like to be there in person to pay her respects,' the spokeswoman said. She has asked Fred Ryan, the chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and long-time personal friend, to represent her. The Queen and Prince Philip broke with tradition by agreeing to attend the funeral. A representative of former South African president Nelson Mandela - whose ANC Lady Thatcher once described as a terrorist group - has been invited. The dress code for the event gives guests the option of 'Full Day Ceremonial without swords', 'Morning Dress (Black Waistcoat and Black Tie) / dark suit', or 'Day dress with Hat'. It also specifies that 'medals and decorations' may be worn. The invitations will be colour coded depending on the importance of the guest. VIP versions are white with red or green stripes and recipients will be seated under the dome of the cathedral. Other colours designate different areas of seating. Paying respects: Around 2,000 mourners are expected to be at St Paul's Cathedral next Wednesday But Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will not be invited to Baroness Thatcher's funeral, MailOnline has learned. Officials drawing up the guest list have moved to block an invitation being sent to President Kirchner who in recent months has sought to reignite the struggle for control of the Falkland Islands. Baroness Thatcher, who died on Monday aged 87, is to receive a war leader's send off dominated by regiments and military units which played a crucial role in the 1982 conflict in the South Atlantic. The former Premier's coffin will be carried into St Paul's Cathedral by those who fought to free the Falkland Islands. Pall-bearers will be from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force regiments who helped defeat Argentinian forces to liberate the South Atlantic islands in 1982, which was the Iron Lady's greatest moment in Downing Street. With tensions over the islands still running high, Argentina's President Kirchner has been blocked from next week's funeral. It is the first time the Queen, who will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, has attended the funeral of a prime minister since Winston Churchill's in 1965. Friends: Nancy Reagan, the wife of US president Ronald Reagan, is said to be devastated about Margaret Thatcher's death, but will also not be attending the funeral Tributes; Cards and flowers continue to be left outside Baroness Thatcher's home in London Formal invitations for next Wednesday's ceremonial funeral are to be issued today. Motorists are being advised to avoid Westminster and the City of London on the day of Baroness Thatcher's funeral next week. On Wednesday April 17 a number of roads will be closed and some bus services will be diverted, Transport for London (TfL) said. Blackfriars and Westminster bridges will be closed and some Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations will be suspended. But all Tube, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway services will run normally. The bus diversions will begin from 6am and the road closures from around 7am. Among roads that will be closed will be The Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, Whitehall, Kingsway and The Mall. The funeral is ceremonial and will include road closures and bus diversions in parts of central London. TfL is working with the Government, Metropolitan Police, Westminster Council and other agencies to ensure people travelling to and from the area can do so quickly and safely and to minimise disruption caused by road closures and diversions. Whether travelling for the funeral or for other journeys to central London people are advised to check the TfL website to plan their route and for updates on service changes that may affect their journeys. President Obama and wife, Michelle, are expected to be invited along with the first President George Bush, who was in the White House while Lady Thatcher was in Downing Street, and his wife, Barbara, but it has not yet been made clear who will make the trip. David Cameron will be joined by Sir John Major and senior politicians from the Thatcher years, but there may be a couple of notable exceptions. Both David Steel and David Owen are going to the funeral. Constant companions, New Zealanders Kate and Janice, and her ever-faithful police protection officers are expected to be inside St Paul's. FW de Klerk, the last president of apartheid South Africa, will be attending the funeral as a guest of the Thatcher family, a spokesman for the FW de Klerk Foundation confirmed yesterday. Mr de Klerk, who ordered the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and agreed to negotiations that ended apartheid, earlier paid tribute to Lady Thatcher 'not only as one of Britain's greatest prime ministers but also as a leader whose policies and approach had a significant impact on politics throughout the world'. Germany's premier Angela Merkel will decide within the next 48 hours whether to attend but if not, her place will be taken instead by President Joachim Gauck. Message: German chancellor Angela Merkel signs the condolence book for Margaret Thatcher at the British Embassy in Berlin today Yesterday her twin brother Sir Mark Thatcher today said Baroness Thatcher would have been 'honoured and humbled' by the presence of the Queen at her funeral. Back in London: Sarah, wife of Mark Thatcher pictured in Knightsbridge yesterday, and she will be at the funeral on Wednesday, along with her husband's ex-wife Diane Beckett In his first appearance since the her death he said Lady Thatcher 'was blessed with a long life, and a very full one.' Ten members of staff from the Ritz hotel, where Lady Thatcher had been staying since Christmas until her death there on Monday, have also been invited to her funeral as thanks for the care she received. Comedian Jim Davidson is likely to attend as she was a 'great fan', according to former MP Gyles Brandreth, who said she like his attempts to entertain the troops and his charity work. Scotland Yard said today that it is working with City of London Police (CoLP) and British Transport Police (BTP) to finalise planning and preparations for the policing operation for the funeral. Police officers will be stationed along the funeral cortege's route, and road closures will be in place, as well as a range of security measures. A mobile team of officers, called reserves, will also be ready to respond to events anywhere in London. Commander Christine Jones, from the Met Police, said: 'Our planning is being carried out using tried and tested systems so we are in a position to deliver the most effective operation we can. Every operation that we deliver is based upon a thorough assessment of the potential risks, and then we plan the most effective ways to mitigate against them. We wish to deliver our operation in a way that protects and secures, but does not intrude upon those people who wish to pay their respects. She said they would monitor a range of information for the most 'up-to-date intelligence picture', right up until Wednesday, adding: 'There has been much speculation about what levels of protest may take place. I would ask anyone who wishes to demonstrate then, or in the coming days, to come and talk to us. The right to protest is one that must be upheld; however, we will work to do that whilst balancing the rights of those who wish to pay their respects and those who wish to travel about London as usual.