Speech to Finchley Conservative Women

Document type:	Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue:	Hendon Hall Hotel, Hendon
Source:	Finchley Press, 31 March 1961
Editorial comments:	The principal speaker was Baroness Elliot of Harwood, with MT responding to the toast. The Finchley Times reported some additional Thatcher material: "The Party, she said, had always adapted itself to the speed of change. There had been a tremendous number of changes over women in the last few years and the Conservative Party was happy to see them. The problem of today was how to strike a balance between the paternalism of government and the rights of individual liberty. Only the Conservative Party was able to meet the challenge of 1961-62 of equating moral standards to rising material standards".
Importance ranking:	Minor
Word count:	391
Themes:	Economic policy - theory and process, Labour Party & socialism, Religion & morality, Society, Conservatism

Finchley's ‘Woman of the Year’

—Mrs Thatcher

One of the first four women to be admitted to the House of Lords—Baroness Elliot of Harwood—was guest speaker at the event of the year for women members of Finchley and Friern Barnet Conservative Association. It was the annual luncheon of the Conservative Women's Advisory Committee, which was held at Hendon Hall Hotel on Thursday last week.

In all the many years she had been associated with the House of Commons, said Lady Elliot, proposing “The Conservative Party” , she had never known anybody who was so successful in so short a time, and so popular, as Finchley's MP. Mrs. Margaret Thatcher.

And she congratulated members on their choice.

Lady Elliot recalled how she and Mrs. Thatcher had “made a little history together” . She had taken Mrs. Thatcher's Press Bill through the House of Lords, so becoming the first woman to take a Bill through the House.

The Party, she felt, was full of active young men and women. And, having won three elections running—the first party to do that in British politics—it was in good heart.

Responding, Mrs. Thatcher pointed out the tremendous difference in well-being that has been brought about under the successive Tory governments.

This was not something contemptible or sordid, nor was the acquiring of middle class values so bad, as the Socialists tried to make out.

But it was true there was the problem of the increasing crime rate, and there was a lack of standards among some of our young people.

Britain was often compared with the Continental countries, but there prices were higher, wages were lower, and general conditions were not nearly so favourable as those in this country. “How wrong the Socialists have always been to denigrate Britain!” she said.

Cr. Mrs. M. E. Haverly, of Friern Barnet, proposed “The Guests” . They included the Mayor and Mayoress of Finchley (Cr. and Mrs. W. G. Hart), “who were rendering yeoman service to the Borough” , and the Chairman of Friern Barnet Urban Council, Cr. E. F. Taylor, and Mrs. Taylor.

Cr. Hart replied to the toast.