P.M. Faces For Far protest

Health workers join demonstration

Sunshine and about 400 noisy demonstrators greeted Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher when she arrived by car at Forfar yesterday on the second day of her Scottish tour.

The bulk of the protesters were made up of health workers—250 travelled from Dundee hospitals alone—and there were also representatives from Abroath, Montrose and Forfar.

The demonstrators arrived outside the factory of textile manufacturers Don Brothers, Buist and Co. carrying banners, cartoons of Mrs Thatcher—complete with varicose veins drawn on her legs—and shouting: “Maggie Out.”

The protest was led by a group from the Confederation of Health Service Employees (Cohse) carrying a home-made coffin with a skeleton on top and slogan: “The Death of a Nation—Killed by Thatcher.”

As the Prime Minister's car drew up outside the factory there were loud jeers and boos from the crowd with a handful of people waving and applauding Mrs. Thatcher.

Security was tight and the crowds were kept about 20yds. from the factory entrance behind metal barriers and a line of policemen. The protesters could barely see Mrs Thatcher as she emerged from her car and disappeared into the factory.

Inside the factory, however, Mrs Thatcher was taking it all in her stride. “It was not a very large demonstration,” she said. “I would not take it very seriously.”

She once again repeated her Government's firm stance on the NHS pay situation, saying: “We feel what we have offered is as much as the taxpayers can afford.

“The teachers have accepted 6%;, the doctors have accepted 6%; and the Armed Forces have accepted 6%;. It would seem that the offer is right in the heart of offers which have already been accepted.”

Asked about the many hospitals in Scotland facing cash difficulties, she said: “I can only point out that the expenditure in the NHS is far greater than in the increase in inflation.

“When I walked into 10 Downing Street the expenditure in the NHS as a whole was £9500 million. This year the expenditure is something like £14,500 million. That is way ahead of the increase in inflation.

“There has been an increase in nurses, doctors and administrators. So by the time the taxpayer has funded all that we should have an increase in efficiency.”

Questioned about criticism of the Government by people in Grampian Region, particularly over growing unemployment and the loss of development area status, she said: “When you are looking for areas which are most in need of assistance you look at those most badly hit. That is common sense.

“Scotland has a proportion of these areas and, if you want to do the most good, you throw the help more quickly to the areas where the level of unemployment is highest.”