Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech to Dartford Conservatives

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: St Alban’s Road School, Dartford, Kent
Source: Dartford Chronicle, 2 March 1951
Editorial comments: Evening?
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 583
Themes: Conservatism, Conservative Party (organization), Monetary policy, Public spending & borrowing, Foreign policy (USSR & successor states), Labour Party & socialism

MISS ROBERTS IS MADE A PRESIDENT

‘TIDE RUNNING WITH THE TORIES’

Miss Margaret Roberts accepted her first presidential office in the Division on Monday, when she became first president of St. Alban's Ward of Dartford Division Conservative Association.

The appointment was made at the ward's annual meeting at St. Alban's-road School.

Expressing her thanks, Miss Roberts said she took a particular interest in St. Alban's Ward because it was now regarded as a model ward and used as an example of how to start a ward organisation and run it successfully.

Councillor Mrs. H. Shand was appointed vice-president.

Mr. G. C. Pottle (chairman) presented Miss Roberts with a silver propelling pencil as a token of their esteem. He said they were not there as a social organisation, but to work under the Conservative banner, and they hoped their little effort would go a long way to helping to get Miss Roberts to the House of Commons.

A bouquet was presented by Mrs. L. F. Chidgey.

Miss Roberts said the Conservatives were convinced that the tide was running fast with them now and the longer it took for a General Election to come the more certain would be a Conservative victory. She believed the country now had far more confidence in the present Opposition becoming the Government front bench than it had had for many a long day.

Return to Patriotism

One of the most encouraging things was that whereas two or three years ago the name Conservative still meant bitterness to a good number of people, due to Socialist propaganda, now it meant a greatly increasing confidence and faith in their policy to win through for the country. It also meant people were making a greater return to patriotism.

One of the things which would eventually put the Communists out of power in the countries where they had seized it by force was that their countrymen would see that they were not good patriots.

On Government expenditure she said that unless the Government were prepared to spend public money wisely we would find ourselves in the middle of a circle of inflation worse than anything we had known for the past five years. The Government were not justified in asking people to economise and spend less unless they did it in their-own house first.

On the meat situation she said she had not the slightest hesitation in saying that had there been a Conservative Government in power there would never have been an 8d. meat ration.

Mr. A. E. Allsop (agent) said they saw that evening in the smallest ward in Dartford one of the biggest annual meetings.

The following officers were elected: chairman, Mr. G. C. Pottle; vice-chairman, Mr. J. E. Saunders; hon. treasurer, Miss I. G. Dack; hon. secretary, Mr. A. Johnson; assistant secretary and minute secretary, Miss M. Pottle; committee, Mrs. A. Johnson, Mr. L. F. Chidgey, Miss A. M. Garner, Miss E. Gray, Mrs. W. Summers, Mr. A. Doidge, Mrs. K. Hammond, Miss D. Saunders.