Country is flat on its back, says Sir Richard

On the day before the devaluation of the pound was announced, the country was described as “flat on its back” by Sir Richard Thompson, prospective Parliamentary candidate for Croydon South.

Sir Richard was speaking at the constituency's two-day Christmas Market held at Conservative House, Tavistock Road, on Friday.

“This country is flat on its back,” he said. “It is not funny for our country to be in this way.”

Mr. Harold Wilson, he added, was at the moment “peddling his begging bowl around the capitals of Europe.”

He spoke of “this desperate moment” in the fortunes of this country and added: “We are in a situation now worse than any time since the war with no excuse for it at all.”

The Friday session of the market was opened by Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Opposition Shadow Minister for Fuel and Power.

“The Government is not only running down the finances of the country but they are taking the heart out of the people,” she said.

“I cannot remember a time when things have been as serious as they now are. We have had economic problems before under a Conservative Government. They were always solved and solved honourably within a period of 18 months and what we had borrowed we always paid back.

“The only thing that is wrong with Great Britain is the way in which it is being run and led by this Government.”

The Saturday session of the market was opened by Lady Thompson. She told visitors that there would be much to do once the Conservatives returned to power.

Work on the market began in March. This year the stalls were decorated by individual groups within the association and the Addington Park women's section's stall was named as the best decorated.

Over £1,200 was raised at the market.