Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Interview for Sunday Telegraph (extract on Europe)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: No.10 Downing Street
Source: Thatcher Archive (THCR 5/2/63)
Journalist: Gordon Brook-Shepherd, Sunday Telegraph
Editorial comments: The interview was off the record, but Brook-Shepherd later sought and received permission to publish a brief quote on Europe, which appears to have been devised by Bernard Ingham after the interview in the light of what had been said.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 115
Themes: European Union (general), European Union Budget

Obviously we hope to do a competent job during our presidency and to take the Community forward. But it is very important that we are not over ambitious and that people at home and abroad do not expect too much of the British presidency.

We shall do our level best to be good Presidents and I hope that we can bring a greater recognition and acceptance that we are part of Europe. We derive very considerable political and economic benefits from membership and it is, of course, vital to keep the nations of Europe politically together. We shall better be able to do that if we can achieve a better balanced Community budget, which inevitably includes reform of the CAP.