INTRO
Thank Cranley OnslowCranley.
Reporting regularly
& tactfully views of
Parliamentary colleagues.
Thank LPS John Biffen & Chief Whip John Wakeham for getting us up this week.
Four Points
1. Where we stand now.
Tough year. p2
Tendency to dismiss this as mid-term blues.
Think that a mistake—because they come from a different cause—namely a failure of fundamental policy (e.g. Labour I.M.F.)
Our fundamental policies are sound.
Difficulties due to
a) allowed ourselves to be p3
deflected by
i) issues not central to strategy
Westland—which made us temporarily [end p1] lose the Tory virtue of unity
THAT mustn't happen again.
ii) partly because we have had to face difficult current decisions
Libya.
S. Africa p4
— Both times taking decisions which we believe are in long-term interest—case for which has required detailed exposition—now winning the case.
When we got down
to these big issues
stayed together p5
Good—election results will not be determined on issues which come & go in a matter of weeks but in how we tackled long term problem.
Morale—polls are rising p6
2. Achievements
Economic—Had I said 3 years ago let alone
Inflation,
2.5%;
Sound Finance
— Moved the decimal point one place to the left.
1m new jobs
Lowest no. of strikes for half century [end p2]
Four taxes abolished since 1983.
Personal side—Revolution that has come about in the spread of personal ownership p7
Health Service
Hospitals that Labour cancelled in 1976 restored to programme & built by us.
These are Conservative achievements
Require a Conservative Govt to keep them
Would be lost by any other Govt. p8
Use them not only facts as facts to tell their story,
but as evidence that the party that has tackled the problems of the last 7 years is the one to tackle the problems of the next seven.
Built the architecture of the last 7 years p9
So we are the builders of the future
3) Future.
Success is a dynamic thing—not static [end p3]
Never stand still.
Consolidation is not enough.
Relaunch products & develop acc to the needs of the times to come p10
11 policy groups
— go across departmental boundaries
‘Managing the economy’.
‘Rural Britain’.
‘Youth’—Edn & Training
Minister as Chairman
Backbenchers
Keep in close touch with B'bench committees
People from industry
academic world p11
Not running out of ideas now Rates reform—green paper
Personal Taxn—H & W.
Profit related Pay
Family Practitioner Service
Expansion of Technical Training TVEI
Personal Equity Plans—Privatisation Gas p12
Let's make sure [end p4] we fight next election
ON GROUNDS OF OUR CHOOSING.
Defence.
Law & Order.
Sound money—your savings are safe with the Tories.
Soundly based services— & promises
A Party which encourages enterprise & doesn't envy it. p13
Essence of freedom is choice
Contrast that with Socialism
who want not more
choice for people
but more control over people.
Contrast it with Socialism in Action
Picket line.
Wapping
London Council Chamber p14
By contrast with Lib/SDP.
All things to all people and end up standing for nothing. [end p5] p15
Record of achievement
New ideas now coming forward
Preparation for the future
entitle us to be confident & optimistic
and requires us to convey that to others.
I believe we've p16
Got to win
I believe equally passionately that we are going to win.
That's the spirit in which—a totally united party—we shall set about it.
(2). BBC Radio News Report 0700 25 July 1986: [end p6]Mrs. Thatcher admitted to her MPs that the year had been a tough one for the government. On Westland, it had lost the virtue of unity which voters expected from the Tory Party. Ministers are relieved that with MPs leaving Westminster for the summer break, Westland will soon be off the front pages—but the Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, said last night it was not the sort of subject which would die away during the summer. The government is expected to give its own response to the Committee's report in about a couple of months, and there will be a debate in the autumn. All that is some way off. Mrs Thatcher's optimistic message to her supporters was to prepare for power until the year 2000. She said she passionately believed they would win the next election. Meanwhile they should concentrate on putting over their record. To involve Conservative MPs more in planning policies for the next election and beyond, the government has set up a dozen policy groups; they will be reporting in about six months' time.