Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech to Finchley Conservatives (Association AGM)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Conservative Hall, 267 Ballards Lane, Finchley
Source: Finchley Press, 12 March 1965
Editorial comments: 2000.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 458
Themes: Economic policy - theory and process, Secondary education, Taxation, Trade, Foreign policy (Western Europe - non-EU), Labour Party & socialism, Local government finance

Britannia rules the waves

—and Mrs. Thatcher attacks Government.

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Member of Parliament, speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Finchley & Friern Barnet Conservative Association on Thursday last week at the Conservative Hall said “that never has a government succeeded in breaking so many promises and alienating so many European countries in such a short time. At home promises to reduce mortage rates, not to increase taxation, to bring down prices have all been flouted. Abroad there was a pithy saying in E.F.T.A. countries. Britain waives the rules.

“A government with fewer theories and more practical knowledge would have known the danger of changing trading agreements without the knowledge and consent of other signatories. The reputation that had taken generations to build up had been destroyed by the Labour Government overnight. During successful Conservative Governments the nation had increased the standard of living, better social security and falling taxation rates. The first lesson of Socialism is increased taxation—and I believe there is more to come—and it is the middle income group who will have to pay the most.

Rates

“The largest number of letters I receive concern the problem of rates, a number of people have moved from a house to a flat hoping to reduce their outgoings. They have found that flats are rated more highly than houses of comparable size and they are often paying more in rates on a smaller flat than they were for a large house. So far for valuation purposes the Treasury has refused to admit that the two forms of residential property are comparable. After a long and protracted correspondence I received a letter from the Treasury saying that this is one of the problems being considered by those now reviewing the rating system. I have put down a question to James Callaghanthe Chancellor for answer next Tuesday.”

Education

Mrs. Thatcher then went on to say that she was very concerned indeed about the Government's intention to re-organise secondary education on comprehensive lines and about its possible effects on building improvements needed for grammar schools in our area. Towards the end of the last Parliament she was pressing for inclusion of the enlarged project for Finchley Grammar School in the 1967/68 programme. She was continuing to press for it and had put down a question for answer on Monday March 15th.

Various members of the Association asked questions of Mrs. Thatcher before she left to return to the House of Commons for the Defence Debate. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Mrs. Wynne Mackrill as a token of gratitude for the work she does.