“LIFE IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR”

Government's Role Towards The Individual

“Life is a private affair; it is a government's job to remove some of the obstacles—not to force the individual to conform to a pattern” —that was the opening theme of Sir Keith Joseph, Bt. MP for Leeds North East, when he visited Hampstead Garden Suburb on Tuesday evening to address Bishops and Manor Wards Conservatives.

Over 100 attended the meeting, at the Institute, Central Square, and they heard the young MP, who is a keen social worker, business man and cricketer, tell of some of the dangers confronting the enjoyment of individual freedom. These he listed as: Russian ambition, Russian fear, the loss by the West of the neutral world, and “mistake” ,—the false step or wrong radar-screen reading which might prompt a major power to go too far.

There was no panacea for these ills, said Sir Keith, but three gleams of hope: the ending of nuclear tests and possible disarmament; a common market leading to the relief of the backward countries of the world—and a “government of guts” to implement all this.

If hire purchase led to a better standard of living he saw nothing wrong in this provided something was saved for the future.

Sir Keith 's speech was followed by an address from Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Finchley's Parliamentary Conservative candidate, who spoke on the formation of government policy taking into account criticism and individual needs. Both speakers held their audience and received questions at the end.

Presiding at the meeting was Mr. D. Curtis; also on the platform were Mr. D. Thatcher, Mr. A. C. D. Miller (Divisional President); Mr. C. H. Blatch (Divisional Chairman) and two Council election candidates for Bishops and Manor Wards, Mrs. P. Nevard and Mr. Marcus King who thanked the speakers.

(2) Hampstead and Highgate Express, 27 February 1959

Finchley is not a safe seat

If we have another dose of nationalisation then we can no longer be a free individual State.

This warning was given by Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Finchley, on Tuesday, at her first public meeting in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

“We believe there is nothing the State can do for the individual that is equal to what the individual can do for himself if he is able-bodied and willing,” she told an audience of over 100 at the Institute, Central Square.

No more than 25 per cent of the industries should be in the hands of the State. The Conservatives were all for letting the individual get on with it.

“Always we veer towards freedom and opportunity. They are the really creative factors in the State.”

Britain's duty

Sir Keith Joseph, MP for North East Leeds, said Britain had a duty to buy the goods of the underdeveloped countries. He believed the competition would be a good thing for the industries of this country.

Thanking Mrs. Thatcher, the prospective Finchley council candidate for Manor ward, Mrs. Phyllis Navard, complained that too many of their supporters did not vote at elections thinking that Finchley was a safe Conservative seat.

“We have got to make them realise that Finchley, and particularly Manor and Bishops wards, are not safe Conservative seats,” she said.