Unidentified interviewer, ITN
Today was the first day at her new job for Mrs Margaret Thatcher, MP for Finchley. She was appointed Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions in the Government changes this week. I went to the Ministry this afternoon and asked Mrs Thatcher—the mother of six year old twins—how she'd be able to cope with the extra work?
Unidentified interviewer, ITN
Will you be able to cope with the extra work? Broadcast interview begins here
MT
Well, I'm quite happy about it, because it means that one has a definite job to get down to rather than having a roving brief throughout the whole of the political scene.
Unidentified interviewer, ITN
What's it going to mean in your home life—obviously you are going to have to make some adjustments?
MT
I think it is going to be even more organisation and method: I'm a great believer in those two things, but in any case I could never do it if not for the fact that my home is within thirty five minutes of Westminster. I have an excellent nanny-housekeeper who helps immensely, I see the children every morning and they are at school all day and of course I make a point of seeing and being with them at weekends.
Unidentified interviewer, ITN
Your husband's abroad a good deal, I think. Will you have two different timetables, one for when he is away, and one for when he is at home?
MT
Well, not quite that. We do most of the domestic things while Denis Thatcherhe is away, you know in redecoration, and so on, so that the household isn't put out when he is at home, but he does travel on export duties quite a bit.
Unidentified interviewer, ITN
What do you feel about this particular appointment, is it one that you looked forward to when you were indulging your pipe dreams?
MT
Well, I haven't thought of having any appointment, really, certainly not so soon, but I am very happy about it, because I think it offers scope both for the human side, which is helping people who are in need of help and also on the financial side and seeing that the scheme is sound.
Unidentified interviewer, ITN
Tell me what happens on your, so to speak, your first day when the new girl comes in, what happens?
MT
Well, I was as curious about that as you. I've had a very pleasant morning, I was received by the John Boyd-CarpenterMinister as soon as I came in and introduced to the various heads of departments and my sphere of duty was well-defined and I shall be given an enormous amount of homework to take away for the weekend.