WOMAN TO WOMAN

MRS. THATCHER MEETS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

“A Wonderful Team in Finchley”

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Conservative Association's Women's Advisory Committee, at Conservative Hall, Ballards Lane, on Thursday last week, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, prospective Parliamentary Conservative Candidate for the constituency said how much she had been impressed by the strength and influence of the Conservative women's organisation in the Division. Mrs. Thatcher told the Committee:

“Now I have been round and have met most of you in your separate wards I would like to say how very impressed I was, and how strong the ladies' organisation is in this Division.

“I think, Madame Chairman (Mrs. Mackrill), that this is due to you, and I also think that a wonderful team has been got together under the auspices of this committee.

“I am going about the constituency a good deal and seeing as much as possible. I was charged with the duty, by the Divisional Officers, of securing a Cabinet Minister to come and speak at a public meeting.

“My first try was Mr. Iain Macleod, Minister of Labour, and he is expected to come on Monday, February 9th. The meeting will be held in this hall.

“We hope that this will be one of the political events that this Division needs at this stage.”

Speaking of “public opinion polls” Mrs. Thatcher said: “We must not rely on the results of any public opinion poll, but must steadily improve the organisation, and I believe that is taking place all the time.”

She went on to say that she had recently returned from the Conservative Conference at Blackpool with a supreme belief in the leaders of the government.

“I am quite an old hand at party political conferences, and not since 1948 have I seen a conference where the speeches from the platform have been of such a uniformly high quality. I think that from our viewpoint there is nothing more we can want to know.”

Speaking of a meeting with Lord Hailsham at a cocktail party for candidates. Mrs. Thatcher said: “Lord Hailsham was outstanding in his appraisal of the political situation.”

Of the next General Election Mrs. Thatcher remarked “We have still a great deal of work to do.”

Ending her talk Mrs. Thatcher thanked Lady Crowder, who also attended the meeting, for all the support that she and her husband had given her. She also thanked all the people in the Division who had done so much to help her since her adoption.

Attending the meeting were the Mayoress of Finchley (Mrs. A. T. Pike) and the wife of the Chairman of Friern Barnet Council (Mrs. Tangye). Several wives of the Conservative members of Finchley Council also attended.

Mrs. Thorpe, treasurer of the Women's Advisory Committee, thanked Mrs. Thatcher for the most encouraging speech that she had given to the members.