Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Speech to Esher Conservative Women

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: King George’s Hall, Esher
Source: Esher Herald and News, 11 February 1966
Editorial comments: 1230. The article is summarised, but direct quotations from MT are given in full.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 268
Themes: Commonwealth (general), Commonwealth (Rhodesia-Zimbabwe), Foreign policy (Asia), Foreign policy (USSR & successor states), Leadership

Youth was against Hull Tory

Esher M.P.

Editorial summary of article; all direct quotations from MT given in full: MT spoke after Sir William Robson Brown, M.P. for Esher at an Esher Division Conservative Association Women's Advisory Committee luncheon at King George's Hall, Esher, last week.

Sir William referred to Labour's by-election victory at Hull and argued that parliamentary candidates should be more mature and experienced, not chosen from the “new brigade.” . In fact they should be more like his guest speaker, MT.

MT first spoke of Rhodesia and accused the PM Mr. Wilson of mishandling it, urging that if Sir Alec Douglas Home had remained Prime Minister the Rhodesian situation would never had arisen in the present form.

Sir Alec was too big a man to let personal feelings and prestige affect his judgment.

“We won't get a satisfactory settlement of the Rhodesian situation while Mr. Wilson is Prime Minister, nor until we get round a table and negotiate with Mr. Smith,” she added.

On the Indo-Pakistani war, MT described it as a strong indictment of the British government that the USSR should have had to mediate between the two Commonwealth countries.