She made Britain great. She overcame great challenges of her age. A towering figure: Political leaders pay Commons tributes to Thatcher David Cameron today led Parliamentary tributes to Baroness Thatcher who, he said, was responsible for saving Britain from years of "post-war decline." In a emotional tribute to the former Prime Minister Mr Cameron said she "made the political weather" and "made Britain great again." They say 'cometh the hour, cometh the man', well in 1979 came the hour and came the lady. The air was thick with defeatism. There was a sense that the role of government was simply to manage decline She made the political weather, she made history, and - let this be her epitaph - she made our country great again. Speaking as Parliament was recalled so that MPs and peers could pay tribute to the Lady Thatcher who died on Monday, Mr Cameron told the Commons that Lady Thatcher was an "extraordinary woman." In the long history of our parliament, Margaret Thatcher was our first and so far our only woman prime minister. She won three elections in a row, serving this country for a longer continuous period than any prime minister for more than 150 years. She defined and she overcame the great challenges of her age and it is right that Parliament has been recalled to mark our respect. What she achieved even before her three terms in office was remarkable. Those of us who grew up before Margaret Thatcher was even in Downing Street can sometimes fail to appreciate the thickness of the glass ceiling she broke through - from a grocer's shop in Grantham to the highest office in the land. At a time when it was difficult for a woman to enter Parliament, almost inconceivable that one could lead the Conservative Party, and by her own reckoning virtually impossible that a woman could become prime minister, she did all three. The Conservative benches were packed with MPs who had travelled back from their constituencies over the Easter recess to attend today's recall. The benches behind Labour leader Ed Miliband were also packed with MPs, although there were a number of spaces on the Opposition benches close to the entrance to the Commons. In his response Ed Miliband said Lady Thatcher was a "unique and towering figure." He added that despite the fact he disagreed with much of what she did she had "defined her age."Mr Miliband also highlighted a series of policy areas where "she was right" including the Falkland Islands and parts of the privatisation programme. But he also said it was important to reflect where she had been wrong - picking out mining and Baroness Thatcher's position on Nelson Mandela and South Africa. Mr Miliband told the Commons: "Whatever your view of her, Margaret Thatcher was a unique and towering figure. I disagreed with much of what she did but I respect what her death means for many, many people who admired her and I honour her personal achievements. On previous occasions to remember the extraordinary prime ministers who have served our nation. Today we also remember a prime minister who defined her age. Whether you liked her or disliked her "it is impossible to deny the indelible imprint Margaret Thatcher made both on the nation and the wider world," the Deputy Prime Minister said today. Nick Clegg said that Lady Thatcher was unconcerned about what the media thought about her. There were paradoxes in her policies. He said that she was an Atlanticist yet presided over closer integration with the EU. He told MPs she was among those very rare leaders "who became a towering historical figure not as written in the history books but when still in the prime of her political life."