Thatcher herself confessed on her first visit to Singapore in 1985 that Lee Kwan Yew was among the few world leaders she most admired for his leadership calibre. Some Singaporeans agree. LesMISERABLES wrote on the Courtyard Cafe that what Thatcher did to the world paled in comparison to what Lee Kwan Yew did for Singapore.
La mateixa Thatcher va confessar durant la seua primera visita a Singapur el 1985 que Lee Kuan Yew es comptava entre els pocs dirigents mundials que més admirava per la seua envergadura com a líder.