Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech to Horley Conservative Women

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Constitutional Club, Horley, West Sussex
Source: Horley Advertiser, 8 May 1964
Editorial comments: 1345. The article is summarised, but MT’s words are quoted in full.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 456
Themes: Taxation, Labour Party & socialism

Horley visit by women M.P.

Editorial summary; MT quotes reproduced in full: “Many people think that the Socialists have changed; I will tell you that the Socialist leopard has not changed its spots and it never will. Time for a change? The other side goes in to bat at every general election; we have the cricket match every time and the best side wins. Our big Test Match will come up in the Autumn, and I believe that we shall keep the Ashes, we are certainly entitled to.”

MT was speaking to the Horley Conservative Association Women's Section, having driven down from the House of Commons to a Fork Luncheon at the Constitutional Club, Horley, on Tuesday last week.

“You vote for the government who will rule you for the next five years” said MT “but when it comes to making that choice you have really got only two alternatives.” —Conservative or Socialist. There was no possibility at all of a Liberal Government, she thought. “We, over our long history of government,” she said, “have been the creators of Britain under free enterprise governments, and if the Socialists come in, they will take over everything we have built up.”

Private industry and the middle classes would bear the brunt of taxes imposed on them by a Socialist Government: that was inevitable. MT said that they must encourage and give more incentives to those who always met their own responsibilities themselves. That kind of spirit must be encouraged.”

The Government throughout prioritised education and technology. “We got away from the controls of Socialism,” she said, “and that's why we are ahead of the world in nuclear power stations” .